Bar Traders In AP Seek 5-Year Licence Term In New Policy
The traders also requested the same purchase price for liquor from the AP State Beverages Corporation Limited for both bars and retail liquor outlets
Vijayawada:As the current bar policy in Andhra Pradesh is set to expire on August 31, liquor traders have appealed to the state government to introduce a five-year licence period in the upcoming policy and allow existing licensees to continue operating.
Excise director Nishant Kumar held a meeting with stakeholders at the office of the commissioner of prohibition and excise in Mangalagiri on Wednesday to gather feedback and inputs for formulating the new Bar Policy.
During the meeting, liquor traders urged the government to permit current bar operators to retain their licences for the next term, citing heavy investments made in leasing prime locations and in furnishing bars with equipment like furniture and air conditioners. They argued that having to participate in fresh auctions or lotteries again would create uncertainty for existing operators.
The traders also requested the same purchase price for liquor from the AP State Beverages Corporation Limited for both bars and retail liquor outlets. They pointed out that under the previous government, the price for bars was 10% higher than that for retail outlets.
Further, they suggested that bar licensees be given retail licences, similar to how retail shops are permitted to operate permit rooms, which they believe would help increase government revenue and curb illegal activity.
They also appealed for a rationalisation of annual excise tax, citing the example of Hyderabad, where bars pay ₹40 lakh per year in a city with a population exceeding one crore.
Additionally, the traders asked that the mandatory 100-metre distance from temples and educational institutions be measured via pedestrian pathways, rather than the current method of horizontal straight-line measurement, which they said was impractical.
AP State Wine Dealers Association president Rayala Subba Rao stated, “We are requesting the new Bar Policy to have a five-year licence term, instead of the current three years, and for the existing licensees to be allowed to continue.”
