Liquor a phone call away in Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad: A bottle of booze is now a phone call away for residents of Andhra Pradesh. Like pizzas and biryani, people in semi-urban areas and villages in AP can now order liquor over phone. Even a text message will suffice to get home delivery.

Excise officials said that after belt shops were removed, liquor shops started home delivery. Alcohol will be available in malls cities like Vizag and Vijayawada.

AP Excise commissioner Srinivas Srinaresh told DC that the state had given permission to five malls in Vizag, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Kakinada, and Guntur, and four more applications had been received from Rajahmundry, Bhimavaram, Vijayawada and Guntur. He said that these too would be given permission.

Mr Srinaresh added that the government had put a condition that the malls should have a built-up area of over 10,000 sq. yards. As part of its new excise policy, the government had decided to start 436 liquor shops of which 415 are up and running.

Liquor is available at MRP in shops run by the government. Some private shops, which would charge more than MRP, have started advertising that they are selling at MRP, due to competition from government shops.