VIJAYAWADA: The liquor business in the State was taken over by the State government on Tuesday as per the new excise policy aimed at phase-wise total prohibition. As against the 3,500 retail outlets to be run by the AP Beverages Corporation, 3,317 started selling liquor across the State.
The AP Beverages Corporation Ltd took over the sale of liquor bringing down the number of shops from 4,380 to 3,300-odd. The timings sale were also reduced drastically and now the shops will be open from 11 am to 8 pm.
In its efforts to impose prohibition in phases, the YSRC government cracked the whip on belt shops and closed almost 2,900 unauthorised liquor shops in the State. The liquor sales volume too came down by 18 per cent from June to September this year, officials said. Further, the prices of all the varieties of liquor, including Indian Made Foreign Liquor, foreign liquor and beer, were increased with effect from Tuesday.
However, there was some opposition from women and locals over setting up of liquor outlets at some places.
Women and children organised a dharna against the opening of liquor outlet at municipality office in Yerraguntla town in Kadapa district. There were protests against a liquor shop at the same place by private individuals. What riled the residents in the locality was the government’s decision to open its liquor outlet from the same premises. They squatted on the road and raised slogans condemning the APBCL’s move to set up a liquor shop.
The women protestors alleged that tipplers create nuisance in the area and they even relieve themselves on the road side, causing severe inconvenience to women walking in the street. The agitating denizens told media that they had already appealed to Joint Collector Gauthami not to give permission to set up liquor sales outlet on the same premises. “But our pleas fell on deaf ears,” lamented the women.
Yerraguntla CI U Sadashivaiah, Excise CI Srinivasa Murthy and SI Kavita rushed to the place and tried to pacify the agitating women. Jammalamadugu MLA P Sudhir Reddy rushed to the place and assured the women that he would discuss with the officials to have the outlet shifted out of the area. Following the MLA’s assurance, the women called off their stir.
Similar protests were held by locals in Madhurawada of Visakhapatnam and other places in West Godavari and Krishna districts. Excise Minister K Narayana Swamy said that they would consider shifting the outlets from the premises wherever there are protests.