With Andhra Pradesh’s existing Bar Policy set to end on August 31, the state government has begun working on a new policy that aims to strike a balance between generating revenue, ensuring public welfare, and supporting industry growth.
A key meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Excise Policy was held on Friday in hybrid mode. Attendees included Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra and Energy Minister Gottipati Ravikumar in person, while other ministers, including Nadendla Manohar (Food & Civil Supplies), Kondapalli Srinivas (NRI Empowerment), and Satya Kumar Yadav (Health), joined online.
Prohibition & Excise Director Nishant Kumar gave an overview of the current 2022–25 bar policy. The state currently has 840 standalone bars and 50 bars located in star hotels and microbreweries. However, 44 bar licenses were not renewed. The presentation also included comparisons with bar policies in other states like Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh.
Principal Secretary Mukesh Kumar Meena shared feedback from stakeholders such as the State Wine Dealers Association and the Star Hotels and Hotels Associations. He also presented data on bar sales, license trends, and potential revenue impacts of different policy options.
During the discussion:
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Minister Manohar called for a review of how the current shop policy affects bar operations.
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Minister Yadav suggested involving the Tourism Department to boost tourism through bar infrastructure.
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Minister Srinivas pushed for more support for new entrepreneurs in the food and beverage sector.
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Minister Ravikumar recommended relocating bars away from industrial areas that are expanding.
The Excise Department will now revise the draft policy based on these suggestions and submit it for final approval.
Senior officials, including Enforcement Director Rahul Dev Sharma and Additional Commissioner M. Deva Kumar, also attended the meeting.
