YSRCP Opposes Auto-Renewal of Liquor Licences in Andhra Pradesh

The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has come out against the Andhra Pradesh government's proposal to automatically renew liquor shop licences, arguing that the move would cost the State exchequer close to ₹3,000 crore and benefit liquor syndicates.

Speaking at a press conference at the party's central office, spokesperson Putta Siva Shankar urged the government to drop the proposal and instead allot licences afresh through a lottery. He said the trade had effectively passed into the hands of syndicates, with belt shops and permit rooms running without adequate oversight.

Mr. Siva Shankar further alleged that liquor was being sold above the maximum retail price (MRP) in several places, and that enforcement agencies had not acted effectively against such violations.

Citing the previous round of allotments, he said licences for 3,740 liquor shops were issued through a lottery in 2024, drawing 89,582 applications. The non-refundable application fee alone is estimated to have earned the government about ₹1,800 crore, he added.

With the two-year licence period now nearing its end, he argued that holding a fresh lottery could once again bring in substantial revenue.

The YSRCP leader also pressed the government to disclose the number of cases registered for MRP violations, the penalties collected and the licences cancelled on those grounds. He sought details of action taken against illegal liquor sales as well as the rewards paid to informants.

Mr. Siva Shankar claimed that the previous YSRCP government had placed liquor outlets under direct government control, ensuring that the revenue accrued to the State exchequer.