New excise policy in AP from Oct 1

Vijayawada : The state cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod for the proposal to cancel the GOs issued by the previous government pertaining to the Municipal and Panchayat Raj, which had put a ban on people having more than two children to contest the elections. It will introduce a bill to the effect in the next session of the Assembly. It may be mentioned here that the NDA alliance had assured this during its poll campaign.

The cabinet also approved the decision to introduce a new excise policy. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that excise officials have been sent to neighbouring states to study the policies and the best practices that are being followed in other states. After evaluating the report, the government will frame a new excise policy which would come into effect from October 1. He said that AP suffered a loss of Rs 18,860 crore as the YSRCP government monopolised the trade. The government will also bring changes in the liquor procurement policy. Briefing the media, Minister for I&PR K Parthasarathi said that among other decisions taken by the cabinet were to cancel GO 217 which pertains to public auction of government tanks

It would now hand over the tanks to fishermen cooperative societies on lease at nominal cost and take steps to adopt modern technology in fishing to increase their revenue.

He said since a large number of petitions pertaining to land registrations and land grabbing that took place during previous regime were received it has been decided to issue new pattadar pass books. He said the Chief Minister advised the officials to conduct grama sabhas to resolve the land resurvey issues and disputes. Another decision, the Minister said, was to extend the ban on Maoist parties by one year.

The cabinet further cleared the proposal to sanction 380 additional posts in medical colleges of Vizianagaram, Rajahmundry, Eluru and Machilipatnam.

Similarly, it decided to start Phase-II admissions in new medical colleges of Paderu, Markapur, Pulivendula, Adoni and Maanepalli with 100 seats each for 2024-25 academic year as per the national medical commission new guidelines.