Andhra Pradesh News: Private players will be included in the new excise policy

VIJAYAWADA. Vijayawada: The newly formed Telugu Desam government led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is likely to bring a new excise policy involving private agencies to sell liquor in the retail market after the current excise policy ends as this policy is valid in the state till September 2024. Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra took charge on Friday and a section of Excise and Special Enforcement Bureau employees met him and congratulated the minister. The minister is said to have hinted to them about the proposed move to restore the old excise policy, under which private parties used to sell liquor.

Excise sources say that the state government will study the old system of allowing private agencies to sell liquor and will come up with an excise policy from October 2024. Excise sources say that involving private agencies through auction will help the state government earn good revenue in the form of non-refundable deposits, fees and others and allow private agencies to sell those brands of liquor and beer that are in high demand. Currently, AP has 2,934 government retail liquor shops and it gets an average revenue of Rs 60-70 crore per day. Also, there is a proposal to merge both Excise and SEB as it was earlier split by the YSRC regime with the aim of tackling excise offences. At present the Excise department has 30 per cent employees while SEB has 70 per cent employees. Out of the total 6,000 employees, about 4,000 personnel have been recruited in SEB and such a large number of SEB personnel are under the control of 18 IPS officers, two DSPs and a few inspectors.

The Excise Officers recruited in SEB are raising their voice against the domination of Police and even when the cases are detected by SEB officers, the police are taking advantage by registering cases and taking credit. Many associations of officers of prohibition and excise department are preparing to approach the government with a request to announce new Excise Policy with private agencies to sell liquor and to abolish SEB and merge it with Excise Department so that it can be strengthened from its 30 percent capacity and ensure proper sale of liquor by private agencies.

A senior official of the AP Prohibition and Excise Gazetted Officers Association said, “We are planning to approach the government with a request to restore the old excise policy with private agencies to sell liquor, abolish SEB and merge it with the Excise Department for proper enforcement to help the state earn good revenue. Also, old liquor traders who either migrated to neighbouring states like TG or moved to some other business will come back and do the liquor business in AP.”