HYDERABAD: The cash-starved Andhra Pradesh government, which is pinning its hope on the sale of liquor for additional revenue for supporting welfare programmes in the State, in order to generate more revenues has decided to allow malls and hyper markets to sell liquors.
Announcing excise policy for 2015-17 at secretariat here on Monday, AP Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra said since liquor is being soled in malls and hyper markets like other commodities in all the metros and big cities, including Hyderabad, the government has decide to allow this in the State as well. "This will help in maintaining quality of liquor. More liquor is soled in hyper markets than in wine shops," he claimed.
Stating that the government would monitor the liquors soled in malls and hypermarkets, the Excise Minister said these markets would asked to follow all the norms framed by the government.
In an effort to the develop the concept of micro breweries in the cities, the State government has decided to set up micro breweries units in the State, he said.
"Micro breweries concept is catching up across the country. We too want to promote it in our cities," he said.
Stating that the setting up of one liquor shops run by government in all the mandals of the State would help in maintaining quality of the liquor and MRP, Ravindra said this would help in keeping checks and balances on the sale of liquor. About 10 per cent of the total 4,380 shops would be allotted to government, he said.
"We have already identified the location of shops to be runned by the government. All the shops identified is in prime locations and have high sales," he said.
