New Liquor Brands Set to Delight Enthusiasts Starting October 16

New liquor shops across Andhra Pradesh, including Visakhapatnam, will open on October 16 as the recently approved liquor policy by the State Cabinet comes into effect.

According to a notification from the Excise Department, the deadline for submitting applications has been extended by two days, with the new deadline set for October 11. Originally, the application cutoff was October 9, but it was extended following requests from applicants.

Licences for liquor shops will be allocated through a lottery system on October 14, allowing successful applicants to open their shops on October 16. So far, 41,348 applications have been received as of October 8, while the total number of licences available is 3,396 across the State.

The Excise Department has already generated Rs 826 crore in non-refundable licence fees, and with the extended deadline, officials expect additional applications in the coming days. In districts such as Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Nellore, Anakapalle, Anantapur, and Nandyal, the number of applications received has been lower than the number of shops notified.

The alliance government has introduced this new liquor policy, aiming to generate Rs 2,000 crore in annual revenue while addressing concerns over the poor quality of liquor sold during the previous administration. The new policy also promises to introduce new brands for liquor enthusiasts.