Will AP Adopt Telangana Liquor Policy?
With the conclusion of the previous YSRCP government's liquor policy, andhra pradesh is getting ready to move away from government-run booze stores. The state will reintroduce commercial booze stores on october 1st, replacing the government-run ones, as part of a new liquor strategy. The state's attitude to the sale and control of alcoholic beverages has changed significantly as a result of this move.
With a special emphasis on the telangana model, the Excise Department has been developing the new policy while taking cues from the liquor laws of six other states. Since its introduction in 2023, the telangana Liquor Policy has been praised for its ability to bring in a sizable sum of money.
According to reports, the andhra pradesh government is in favor of a similar strategy since it expects to make a sizable profit from the application fees for licenses to operate private liquor stores. Department representatives examined the alcohol laws in six states and recently sent findings to the government. It is known that they believe the Telangana-style approach to be the most effective.
The application fee for the liquor policy in telangana generated ₹2,628 crore in revenue. According to andhra pradesh officials, application fees alone might bring in almost ₹2,000 crores in revenue under a comparable scheme. According to the new regulation, the non-refundable application cost for a liquor store license is anticipated to be ₹2 lakhs. If each store received 40 applications on average, the state's income may increase significantly.
The program also stipulates that 10% of the total number of shops—roughly 300—must be given to the community of Traditional geetha workers. Though fewer applications may result in decreased income from these establishments, the goal of this approach is to provide this community chances. Within the following seven to ten days, the government is anticipated to complete and publish the new liquor policy. The new policy for private liquor stores will go into effect on october 1st, while the present government-run liquor stores will close by the end of September.
The program also stipulates that 10% of the total number of shops—roughly 300—must be given to the community of Traditional geetha workers. Though fewer applications may result in decreased income from these establishments, the goal of this approach is to provide this community chances. Within the following seven to ten days, the government is anticipated to complete and publish the new liquor policy. The new policy for private liquor stores will go into effect on october 1st, while the present government-run liquor stores will close by the end of September.
In order to guarantee a seamless transfer to the new system, the Excise Department is also putting out a timeline to finish the receipt, review, and lottery for the applications within 20 days.