About 10 percent of liquor shop licences under Andhra Pradesh’s new excise policy went to women applicants. Of the 3396 shops, 345 went to women.
Published Oct 15, 2024 | 2:48 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 15, 2024 | 2:48 PM
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The Andhra Pradesh state government is expected to rake in a mind-boggling moolah of ₹30,000 crore per year under the new excise policy which will be in force for two years from Wednesday, 16 October.
To put it in perspective, it is more than twice the cost of Polavaram project. The multi-purpose irrigation project needs Rs.12,157 crore for the completion of the remainder of its Phase -I of works.
The Rs.30,000 annual excise revenue is 10 percent more than the five-year average of Rs.25,000 crore.
The state government has received a whopping 89,882 applications for 3,396 shops in the state. The application fee alone fetched the state government Rs.1,797 crore.
The officials completed the allotment of liquor shops to the applications on Monday. Those who got the license will open their shops on Wednesday, 16 October.
It would signal the return of the halcyon days for the average tippler who had been greatly inconvenienced under the previous YSRCP regime. In those “dark days”, retail liquor business was in the hands of the government and popular brands were not available. Even if they were, they were priced outrageously, making them beyond the reach of the poor, lower middle class and middle class sections.
Prohibition and Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra said, after the completion of the allotment of shops: “We have done the allotment in the most transparent manner. In the past, the average number of applications for each shop was 26.7. In NTR district alone, there were about 100 applications for each shop.
He said that in 2015-17, the number of shops was 4380 for which the applications received were 65,208 which fetched a revenue of Rs. 225 crore. In 2017-19, the number of shops was 4377, for which the applications received was 76,329 which fetched Rs.422 crore. “But this time, the number of applications has shot up to 89,882 which netted an application fee of a staggering Rs.1.797,” said Ravindra.
The government claimed that the excise policy that the TDP-led NDA government had ushered in did not give any scope for spurious liquor finding its way into the market. It is the best-ever policy to be implemented by any state in the country. The policy also signalled the end of the insatiable thirst of the leaders of the previous YSRCP leaders to make a fast buck by committing scams in the name of excise policy, Ravindra said.
The Excise Minister said his department had not received any complaints of applicants forming into syndicates. “If there are any we will take stringent action,” he said. He also added that there have been too many complaints of some applicants, “discouraging” others to apply for licences to improve their chances of landing the licences done through a draw of lots for each shop.
An interesting aspect of the finalisation of the liquor shops was that about 10 percent of the licences went to women applicants. Of the 3396 shops, 345 went to women. The highest number of licences of 31 went to women in Visakhapatnam district, followed by Aanakapalli (25), Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Nellore (24 each). This time the liquor policy allowed applicants from other states including those from Telangana, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Odisha who managed to get licences.
The minister felt “happy” that women, employees and youths had applied for licenses which went to show the credibility the government had enjoyed with everyone. He, however, said that in encouraging sale of quality liquor at reasonable price, the government, at the same time, would be firm in enforcing the guidelines.
The government will not, under any circumstances, allow liquor shops within 100 metres of a school or a temple. The vigilance wing of the department would keep a hawk-like watch on the liquor outlets and prevent violations of the rules and guidelines like selling liquor above MRP, opening belt shops and pushing spurious liquor. The minister said that soon his department would clear the sale of newer brands of liquor.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
