india

Updated: Oct 01, 2019 20:10 IST

Alcohol price in Andhra Pradesh shot up Tuesday after an additional retail excise tax kicked in as part of the YSR Congress party government’s new excise policy aimed at enforcing prohibition in the state in a phased manner.

The excise department in a statement said an additional retail tax of Rs 10 was imposed on every 60 ml of Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) up to a maximum of Rs 250 on a 2000 ml bottle. The same amount of tax will be applicable for foreign liquor. On beer, the government imposed an additional tax up to Rs 20 on a 650 ml bottle.

The number of wine shops in the state has been reduced from 4,380 last year to 3,500 and the department has taken over all the retail shops from private traders. Alcohol sale has been reduced by 15% in the last four months, the statement said.

“Starting Tuesday, the state beverages corporation will be running the retail shops by recruiting additional staff on outsourcing basis. The shops will be run from 10 am to 8 pm,” the statement said.

It said the Government would be very strict about sale of alcohol at maximum retail price and if any employee who violated the rules and sold alcohol at more than the MRP would be sacked immediately.

The Government has also removed permit rooms in wine shops to eliminate disturbances to the people living near the wine shops

The department said the government has recruited 14,994 women constables in village and ward secretariats and the senior officials in the government were issued orders to give importance to the complaints by women on alcohol issues.