Andhra Pradesh Makes Rs 600 Crore Net Profit Selling New Bar Licenses

Under the previous policy, the government got Rs 289.14 crore through sale of licences but now it went up to Rs 597.35 crore, marking a 106 per cent rise.

The sale of bar licences under a new policy evolved by the Andhra Pradesh government has come as a windfall as the net revenue touched a record Rs 600 crore in just the last two days.

The state government earned Rs 19,500 crore from sale of liquor in 2021-22, an increase of over Rs 3,000 crore compared to the previous year. The government escrowed the Excise revenue and raised a loan of Rs 8,300 crore in the name of welfare schemes.This, in addition to the Rs 16,000 crore raised by the AP State Development Corporation by escrowing the income from additional retail Excise tax the previous year. For the first time, the Excise Department sold the bar licences through e-auction after fixing an upset price (reserve price) for each outlet, based on the location.

Under the previous policy, the government got Rs 289.14 crore through sale of licences but now it went up to Rs 597.35 crore, marking a 106 per cent rise, sources in the Excise Department told PTI.

The new bar licences were sold at a time when the Jagan Mohan Reddy regime went into a denial mode on its avowed liquor policy claiming it "never promised total Prohibition." "Our (election) manifesto did not promise total prohibition. It only spoke of raising the rates steeper," Industries Minister Gudivada Amarnath claimed.