The YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh has allegedly profited significantly through liquor scams by introducing several local brands and abandoning costlier liquor options. Although YS Jagan announced a complete ban on liquor before the elections, he instead introduced cheap liquor, which reportedly increased revenue generation for the Excise department.

This created huge outrage among the people and also impacted YSRCP in the 2024 state elections. The new government is now set to introduce a new liquor policy in the state, which will be implemented from October 1st. A new Cabinet sub-committee has started working on the policy, analyzing the six best liquor policies implemented in other states of India. The committee will decide on prices and brands, and all approved brands will be made available in Andhra Pradesh from October 1st.

Under the previous government, all liquor shops in the state were government-owned. With the new liquor policy, the government will decide whether to continue running the wine shops or invite bids for all shops in the state. The new liquor policy will be announced before its implementation.

-Sanyogita