Temperance? Control? Or to liquidate the liquor lobby?

Some officials are apprehensive that due to the reduced shopping time and a new purchase limit, there could be a rise in belt shops, or illegal retail points

It’s bad news for the Bacchus worshippers, though it was not a secret of its imminent coming.

From October 1, the new liquor policy of the State Government has come into force.

Big brother’s watching you

With the idea of reducing liquor consumption - the State is one of the top guzzlers in the country - the government has put into motion three important things apart from others. One, all liquor shops will be owned and run by the government. Two, sales timing has been restricted from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Three, it has halved the limit an individual can buy.

While many welcome the move, a few senior officers from the Prohibition and Excise Department are apprehensive that due to the reduced shopping time and a new purchase limit, there could be a rise in belt shops, or illegal retail points, both in urban and rural areas.

No more ‘One for the road’

Now with the closing time is shortened - from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. - consumers would look forward for purchase beyond the closing time. Of course, that would be surreptitiously.

"As the limit per individual has been reduced from six bottles to three in the case of beer, and from six to three in liquor bottles, this may increase the urge to hunt for illegal selling points. The number of shops also has been decreased from 401 to 321. And the belt shops might cash in on these new restrictions," feels an excise officer.

Anyone got a nip?

The idea of reducing the purchase limit is to hit the belt shops, but they will find ways and means to hop from one shop to another or employ more people to buy from different liquor shops.

"Though we will be on the move to check such development, the ideal way to beat this problem is to make sales online at the retail outlets. The government is thinking to introduce online system of sales on production of Aadhaar Card, at the point of purchase. This will restrict the belt shop owners from procuring bottles from various points, as everything will be recorded online," said a senior Excise Officer on condition of anonymity.

Syndicates out, GOGR in

Earlier, when licence was given to private operators, the liquor business was controlled by a few syndicate owners. Now, that system is gone, as all shops are government owned, government run (GOGR). But there is the danger of syndicates making a comeback through illegal sales.

"In our state there is no distilleries. If at all the syndicate owners want to get into illegal liquor trafficking, they have to get the stock from Goa or Karnataka. Then, their area may be restricted to a couple of districts like Anantapur or Kurnool, but even that would be difficult due to enforcement. Moreover, it will be difficult to move the stock to Coastal AP or Krishna and Guntur districts due to the long distance that they have to cover," said an Assistant Commissioner.