Rajahmundry: No booze shops on highways soon

RAJAHMUNDRY: As per the new Excise policy that will come into effect from July 1, 2017, liquor retail outlets will have to be set up beyond 100 metres from national and state highways, from the existing limit of 50 metres. The government is firm on bringing down the number of road accidents due to drunken driving.

Though the state government has been making efforts to shift the existing retail outlets beyond 50 metres from national and state highways, several licensees had approached the High Court and obtained stay orders claiming that they had obtained the licences for two years to run the liquor outlets at the existing place.

Accordingly, the state government is doing the exercise to make the necessary amendment to the AP Excise Act to see that retail liquor outlets are set up 100 metres away from highways in the upcoming liquor policy.

However, it has to be seen whether the state government will retain or remove the existing exemption that in case the highways pass through villages, the limit of 50 metres will not stand in the new policy.

On the other hand, the quantum of sale of liquor and beer from retail outlets is dwindling due to the ongoing cash crunch. Meanwhile, Excise authorities are making efforts to ensure that all licensees install PoS machines at their outlets to allow customers to swipe their cards.

East Godavari excise deputy commissioner M. Satyanarayana said, “It is certain that the Excise policy will impose a rule about setting up liquor retail outlets beyond 100 metres along national and state highways. It has to be seen whether the government allows the exemption in setting up retail outlets in case the highways pass through villages.”