It is learnt that a notification on the new liquor policy in Andhra Pradesh will be issued either this evening or tomorrow morning. Governor Justice Abdul Nazeer has put his seal of approval with a signature to the ordinance amending the Andhra Pradesh Regulation of Trade in Indian-Made Foreign Liquor and Foreign Liquor Act so that the privatization of the retail liquor business is ushered in.
From the Governor’s office, the ordinance has reached the law department, which is going to publish the notification in the gazette today. Once this process is complete, the Excise Department is likely to give orders about new procedures regarding liquor policy, receipt of applications, and dates for the selection of licensees through lottery systems. The excise officials have zeroed in on October 10 or 11 as the date for licensing, after which the new liquor shops would be opened.
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Earlier, the private players were running the liquor retail business in Andhra Pradesh and the government used to provide licenses. The Act has been modified by YSRCP after getting power, avoiding private business interests by giving only the APSHCL or other government corporations to take in retail business of liquor.
In the case of the law altered by the YSRCP and which the coalition government wishes to return retailing back into private sectors, it has enacted an ordinance since the assembly is not in session. It had sent the draft returned with some technical reasons and minor variations in terminology. The document, after all the modifications were made, was re-transmitted to the Governor’s office and later got a nod. Allocations of 3,736 liquor shops are to be notified by the government. Of these shops, 340 are to be set apart for the toddy-tapping community.
