AP Liquor Policy: Private liquor shops from today

Today, Amaravati: Private liquor shops will open in the state from Wednesday. As the process of issuing licenses to 3,396 shops across the state has been completed, those who have obtained them will start business in the new premises from Wednesday. All of them have paid Rs.330 crore to the government under the first installment of license fees. Licensees have placed orders with APSBCL for a week's worth of liquor stock from each shop. Their value is around Rs.350 crores to Rs.400 crores. Excise department has given special login IDs to the licensees for these orders. Government liquor shops, which continued for the last five years during Vaikapa's regime, expired on Tuesday. Excise officials closed all of them at 10 pm and prepared an inventory with all the details of remaining stock and other items in the respective shops. On Wednesday, the stock will be moved to the depots and the goods to the local excise stations.

Supply the desired brands

Government liquor shops introduced during Vaikapa regime used to sell only 'J Brand' liquor. None of the varieties that consumers want are available. All national and international brands have disappeared. Recently, as the liquor business has gone into private hands, all the brands that consumers want will be made available. APSBCL is preparing to supply only the types ordered by the licensees. Mainly all the brands available across the country will be made available within a week. In the wake of the government's announcement that a quart of liquor will be sold at Rs.99, four national companies are ready to provide it at that price. They will be available in two to three days.

Drug control, rehabilitation duty

The state government has imposed a new Drug Control Cess on liquor. This tax will be levied at the rate of 2 percent on 'landed cost'. It is estimated that Rs.90 crore to Rs.100 crore will be collected per year. This money will be spent on ganja and drugs, de-addiction, establishment and maintenance of counseling centers etc. Another amount will be given to the anti-narcotics task force to be set up at the state level. 10 types of taxes were levied on liquor during the Vaikapa era. Under the new liquor policy, they have been reduced to 6. Also, the government has rationalized Additional Retail Excise Tax (ARET). ARET on capital cost has been finalized. There is no retailer margin on these. To this extent, the Chief Secretary of the Excise Department, Mukesh Kumar Meena, gave orders.