Get sozzled for just 15!

The State government has decided to make available cheap liquor for a throwaway price, in an attempt to curb illicitly distilled liquor

Hyderabad: The minimum cost of ‘poor man’s (cheap) liquor has been fixed at Rs 15 under the new Excise Policy - 2015 which will come into force from October 1 in Telangana. A high-level committee meeting with the officials, presided over by the State Excise and Prohibition Minister T Padma Rao, finalised the prices of cheap liquor on Tuesday.

The cheap liquor prices has been reduced from the existing Rs 60 to Rs 15 per 90 ml bottle only to discourage the addicts from consuming ID (Illicitly Distilled) and other spurious liquor which claim many lives in villages every year. The cost of the liquor bottle containing 180 ml will be Rs 30 as against the earlier Rs 90, the Minister said.

He said the decision to reduce the prices of cheap liquor will incur Rs 1,200 crore revenue loss to the State exchequer in the form of exemption of excise duty and sales taxes collected on cheap liquor. The higher the sales of cheap liquor, government will lose more revenue.

To make the State free from ‘Gudumba’, Padma Rao said all necessary steps were being taken to curb ID liquor menace which included imposing of PD (Preventive Detention) Act and heavy fines for bootleggers.

The government is planning to strengthen the Enforcement wing of the department by involving Police and Revenue departments to wipe out ID liquor mafia in the State. All the logistic support including providing vehicles and weapons to the Task Force is under active consideration. The new policy would be finalised by August end, the Minister said.