The Andhra Pradesh government is all set to impose a ban on alcohol in the state. The state government will phase out its liquor bars and hike alcohol rates in the initial stage.
Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy decided at a review meeting that imposing complete restrictions all at once was unlikely to work and that it would be better to do it in a phased manner.
The state government has decided that the first step would be to bring down liquor bars in the state to about 60% of its current strength. The state would also impose time restrictions on liquor bars—they can only remain open from 11 am to 10 pm, but this restriction would be eased for bars at star hotels by an hour, until 11 pm. Moreover, bars could continue to serve food until 11 pm.
There will be increases in liquor rates and heavy penalties for bootlegging, which would now be treated as a non-bailable charge. But the state’s four micro-breweries would function as usual.
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