New liquor shops in Andhra Pradesh, including in Visakhapatnam, will open on October 16 when the state’s new liquor policy takes effect. The Excise Department has extended the deadline for submitting applications to October 11, allowing more time for interested applicants.
A lottery to finalize the licenses will take place on October 14, and those who receive licenses will be able to open their shops starting October 16. So far, 41,348 applications have been received, with 3,396 licenses available. The Excise Department has already collected ₹826 crore in non-refundable license fees, and with the deadline extension, more applications are expected.
Some districts, like Tirupati and Nellore, have seen fewer applications compared to the number of available licenses. The new policy aims to improve liquor quality and generate ₹2,000 crore in revenue each year, as the current government has expressed concerns about the quality of liquor sold under the previous administration.
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