As a first major step towards prohibition, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday took over the retail liquor business while the price of liquor was increased to discourage consumption. With the new excise policy coming into effect from Tuesday, the state-owned Andhra Pradesh Beverages Corporation Limited (APBCL) took control of liquor shops from private contractors after reducing the number of outlets by 20 per cent. Officials said the number of shops has been cut to 3,500 from 4,380 earlier.
The business hours of wine shops have also been reduced. The shops will now remain open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. against 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. earlier. The government also banned the consumption of liquor in wine shops to avoid inconvenience to people living near the premises.
Under the new rules, no liquor shop is supposed to be located within 100 meters of a place of worship, educational institution or a hospital. They should also not be visible from state or national highways.
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