New Delhi: Taking a leaf out of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh government is mulling taking over liquor shops to ensure quality. Speaking to the media at the conclusion of his two-day visit to the capital, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu indicated that the government would soon announce the excise policy incorporating the measure for taking over liquor shops.
“We are coming out with a new excise policy. We are looking at the Tamil Nadu model where the government owns all liquor shops. We also want to emulate the model. We want to have only government liquor shops across Andhra Pradesh,” he said in response to a query on whether the AP government would go the Kerala way in announcing prohibition.
“We have abolished illegal shops that sell liquor. Now we are looking at taking over liquor shops,” he said. The TN government owns all liquor shops through the State Marketing Corporation, which has a monopoly over wholesale and retail vending of liquor. Tasmac took over the liquor business in 2003.
