Beer guzzlers in for a shock

Hyderabad: The government is likely to revise the beer prices and also invite new liquor companies to supply new brands in the State soon.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy ordered the officials to adopt a transparent mechanism to select the companies which come forward to supply liquor to the Telangana State. The Excise and Prohibition officials have been asked to follow a simplified trade policy to supply new liquor brands by the companies which already have been supplying alcohol to the TGBCL.

A notification to receive applications from new companies within a deadline of a month will be issued soon. Strict rules will be followed in permitting the new companies to supply liquor in the state. It is mandated that the companies should apply with their brand names only and the selection process should be carried out transparently by examining the quality standards and supply capacity of those companies.

When the officials brought to the attention of the Chief Minister that United Beverages Company pressured the government to increase beer prices by 33.1 percent, the CM said that the government will not succumb to the pressure by the companies. The officials are instructed to examine the beer prices in neighboring AP, Maharashtra and other states.

A decision on the price hike will be taken based on the report of the Price Fixation Committee headed by a retired High Court judge, the Chief Minister said clarifying that the pending bills have been paid to the Excise Department from time to time in the last year.

The Finance department was asked to systematically clear the pending dues imposed by the previous government.