Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is making it harder for people in Andhra Pradesh to drink liquor, by tightening and making scarce the supply.
In line with Mr Reddy’s thinking, who personally believes tht people should be kept away from liquor to protect their families from the menace, especially amongst the poor in rural areas, the new excise policy released on Thursday mandates that a grama sabha must give a nod to open a liquor shop in scheduled areas.
Earlier, the state government had decided to run all liquor shops through the AP State Beverages Corporation Ltd instead of private parties. The state government had reduced the total number of shops in the state by 20 per cent.
“No shop licence shall be issued in scheduled areas unless the grama sabha concerned gives its consent to grant a licence to establish a liquor shop,” the government order said. If a gram sabha fails to indicate its rejection of the approval within 15 days, then the approval is deemed given, the GO said.
The state government had also decided to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling of not allowing liquor shops within 500 metres of state and national highways strictly. This is in contrast to the previous TD government, which had de-notified some state highways as ordinary roads so that liquor shops can be allowed, hoodwinking the apex court’s verdict.
Interestingly, the government has decided to put restrictions on sale of liquor to certain persons.
“Liquor shall not be sold to lunatics, drunk people, those suspected to likely participate in acts of sedition, insurrection, breach peace or threaten public tranquility, besides soldiers in uniform, camp servants of military officers in uniform and minors,” the order says.
