According to sources Andhra Pradesh government which is set to bring new excise policy sometime in October, is considering to run wine shops only till 6 PM. Reportedly this is as part of their strategy to completely ban sales of liquor in the state which is also a promise made by AP CM YS jagan during the election campaign.
Meanwhile as things don't happen overnight, the YSRCP government wants to bring down the sales initially and then eventually abolish it. Presently wine shops are running from 10 AM to 10 PM all over the state. Sales after 6 PM pick up a lot and so the new excise policy might target this prime time. Furthermore the other aspect of this policy is to reduce the number of liquor brands and as of today, there are about 340 brands producing different flavors of liquor and a study suggested that many brands don't register proper sales.
Moreover this strategy has many complications too. Firstly is, the government will lose a chunk of revenue and they should also keep in mind that AP is going through severe financial stress. Secondly the government is planning to run wine shops on its own instead of handing over to private persons. Perhaps this could lead to the rise of black market and it will put additional burden on the excise department and officials. Hence this policy is still under thoughtfulness and has a long way to go.
