Two bills enhance Government to reduce liquor consumption in State

Amaravati: The AP Legislative Assembly has passed two bills on Monday, including Excise Amendment Bill 2019 and Prohibition Amendment Bill, which empower the courts to punish offenders with a minimum of six months jail term and Rs 2 lakh fine for offences like illegal sale of liquor, illicit distillation and circulation of non duty paid and spurious liquor, particularly in the far flung areas.

As per the passed amendments to the Section 34 of the AP Excise Act 1968, the offences falling under clauses including (a), (d), (e), (f), (h) and (i), the offenders will be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend upto five years along with fine of Rs 2 lakh for the first offence and Rs 5 lakh in the second offence.

The clauses under the Section 24 are including, (a) imports, exports, transports, manufactures, collects or possesses or sells any intoxicant; (d) constructs or works any distillery or brewery; (e) uses, keeps, or has in his possession any materials, stills, utensils, implements or apparatus whatsoever for the purpose of manufacturing any intoxicant other than toddy; (f) bottles any liquor for purposes of sale; (h) possesses any material or film either with or without Government logo of any district in the State of Andhra Pradesh or any other State or wrapper or any other thing in which intoxicants can be packed or any apparatus, or implement or machine for the purpose of packing any intoxicant; (i) removes any intoxicant from any distillery, brewery or warehouse licenced, established or continued under this Act.

In addition to that, by amending Section 36 of the Excise Act, the government proposed to impose a fine of less than two times of the license fee with respect to the holder of a bar license. In case of a bar licensee committed for second offence, then the license will be cancelled.

The Assembly also passed the Prohibition (Amendment) Bill 2019 with a voice vote.

The Bill, provides stringent action against the offenders who possesses or sells any liquor without any licence permit granted under the Andhra Pradesh Excise Act, 1968. Under this Act, the offenders will be punished with imprisonment for a term of six months to five years and a fine of Rs 2 lakh for the first offence and Rs 5 lakh for second offence.

Intervening during the discussion, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that his government is committed to implementing its policy of reducing the consumption of alcohol.

The Chief Minister said that his government has closed down all the 43,000 belt shops that have popped up during the previous TDP term. We have closed down 40 % o the bars and done away with the permit rooms that were set up adjacent to shops. We have also reduced the timings of the sale of liquor and the women police attached to Village Secretariats will keep a vigil and alert if there is any violation of the Excise Act.

On the other side, we are including in the curriculum the ill-effects of alcohol in Moral Studies and also set up Deaddiction Centres in all districts, he said.