Politicos eagerly wait for new excise policy

Vizianagaram: Leaders and activsitsof political parties are eagerly waiting for the new excise policy to grab business opportunities. The previous YSRCP government brought retail liquor sales under AP Beverages Corporation Ltd, thus depriving opportunity for political leaders and activists to earn money through retail outlets.

The APBCL has been purchasing the liquor, beers from the distilleries and breweries and selling them through its own shops. As this policy came under scanner with the allegations of huge corruption involving distilleries allegedly owned by YSRCP leaders, the new government announced new liquor policy restoring the auction for the liquor outlets and involving private persons.

As of now, the state has 3,396 shops and 882 bars and the all the shops are under the APBCL management while bars are in the hands of private owners.

Now the state government is planning to implement new policy from October 1 and conduct auction (lucky draws) to all shops. For this, the interested persons have to pay application fee to file their candidature and later they have to pay licence fee too.

The liquor traders, who were into the business till 2019 are again enthusiastically waiting for the rules and regulations. They are even mobilising money to submit their applications. If they get the chance to run the shop, they will have to pay huge licence fee too. Previously, sand was an income source for politicos.

They used to excavate sand from riverbeds on the sly and sold at high price in nearby towns and construction areas but t now it has been tightened. Liquor traders feel that it’s a lucrative business as they can make good money within less time apart from wads of money due to daily transactions. They can also earn profits by violating norms, MRP sealing and sell the liquor, beers at excess prices. A professional liquor trader said that he is getting ready to take part in auction for which he is mobilising money from friends and relatives.