Andhra Pradesh Government Cancels The Licenses Of All The Bars

Andhra Pradesh government took a crucial step forward to curb the increasing consumption of alcohol by cancelling the licence of all the existing bars in the state. This is supposed to be the first step towards the total prohibition of alcohol in the state as promised by the cm YS Jagan pre-elections time.

Although, from the reports it has been confirmed that from the new year new license will be issued but out of 798 bars in the state only 401 will function. The new policy will come into effect from January 1st 2020 with the fresh license being granted for only 2 years.

However, five star hotels and all micro-breweries are not subjected to this new policy and can continue in their present form.

Also, the focus is being made on cutting down the daily business hours of the retail liquor shops. Reducing their time by four hours they will now function from 11 am to 8 pm compared to earlier when it was 10 am to 11 pm. “ These decisions have been taken in furtherance of the government’s avowed policy of implementing prohibition in a phased manner,“ said special chief secretary Dr D Sambasiva Rao in GO.

Government feels that there is a very essential need to reduce the availability of liquor so as road accidents due to drunken driving, domestic violence and other crimes due to alcohol consumption could be avoided.