Smart liquor stores in towns and cities

Viajayawada: The new Excise policy that would come into force from October 1 will introduce smart stores in towns and cities where the population is high. The Government will make all efforts to see that the dealers do not form a syndicate. The state suffered badly due to the biggest syndicate in the state during the rule of Jagan Mohan Reddy, the cabinet subcommittee on liquor remarked here on Tuesday.

The committee said that 10 percent of the shops would be allotted to toddy tappers. All these proposals would be placed before the cabinet which would meet on Wednesday for final approval, Minister for Excise Kollu Ravindra said.

He said unlike the previous government, care would be taken to ensure that public health gets the highest importance and hence quality liquor at reasonable rates would be made available. Even payments through UPI would also be introduced.

He said the subcommittee noted that the previous government destroyed the Excise system in the name of Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB). Seventy percent of the staff of the department was used to implement the illicit liquor policy by bringing ‘J brands’ in the market in the name of government liquor shops.

The present policy that would end on September 30 was used for political leaders filling their pockets with liquor money to the tune of Rs 19,000 crore causing loss to the public exchequer. Ravindra said that the subcommittee studied the best policies in six states. He said that a tender committee headed by a retired judge would be formed and the district-level committees would also be formed. The members, including Ministers Kollu Ravindra, Nadendla Manohar, Satyakumar Yadav, and Kondapalli Srinivas participated in the review meeting.