Andhra Pradesh govt to cut down bar and restaurants by 40 per cent

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has taken another step towards the ban on alcohol. The CM ordered the excise department officials to reduce the number of bars in the state by 40 per cent. CM Jagan made this decision at a review meeting on bar policy on Tuesday. With this, the government will reduce the existing 798 bar, excluding star hotels to 40 per cent. In the wake of the CM's directive to reduce the number of bars by 50%, the state has already reduced the number of liquor stores by 20 per cent.

To reduce the number of bars, the government has taken several key decisions. With the latest directions, Liquor sales in bars are open from 11 am to 10 pm while the food is open till 11 pm. Liquor sales at Star Hotels are allowed from 11 am to 11 pm. The government is reportedly planning to increase the prices of liquor. The government has made it clear that there will be strict action against alcohol, smuggling and gudumba. It was decided at the meeting to impose a fine of three times the license fee and to the imprisonment of six months. The government is expected to introduce legislation at the next Assembly session to ensure strict action against liquor and sand.

Deputy Chief Minister Narayana Swamy said the state is reducing bars by 40 per cent. He said, "We will remove the existing bars, reduce the number of new bars by 40 per cent. We are lowering the bars as part of the implementation of the alcohol ban. We also changed their timings. We also raise alcohol prices in bars. We will allocate the bars in lottery mode."

"We are taking steps to imprison those who violate the rules of the bar policy," Narayana Swamy asserted