YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is said to be under tremendous pressure from his own party MLAs to revert to the old system of liquor policy in the state, ahead of the assembly elections.
At present, the retail wine outlets have been under the state government’s control for the last four consecutive years.
Soon after coming to power, Jagan took over the liquor outlets from private control and handed them over to the state-run Andhra Pradesh State Beverages Corporation.
The APSBCL had been granted the exclusive privilege to retail IMFL and foreign liquor from October 1, 2019. At present, the corporation is running the existing number of 2,934 retail outlets.
As the present policy comes to an end by September 30 and new excise year begins on October 1, Jagan has been planning to continue the same policy during the fifth year too.
However, the MLAs are said to be requesting the chief minister to return to the old policy of auctioning the retail wine shops, so that it would help them make some money to bear the election expenditure.
“Moreover, it will also help the state government generate more money so that it could step up its welfare schemes. Nobody would question the government, since it is the election year,” a party leader said.
Though Jagan is understood to have agreed to the MLAs’ request, but senior leaders of the party and his advisors have reportedly opposed the move, as it would send negative signals into the people.
“It would also result in mushrooming of unauthorised liquor shops all over again and would bring a bad name to the government before the elections, which may have a negative impact on the ruling party,” the party leader said.
He suggested that if the YSRCP comes back to power again, it could make appropriate changes in the liquor policy to make more revenue and also help the party leaders make money, sources said.