Ensure transparency in excise policy: CM

Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that transparency will be the cornerstone of Andhra Pradesh’s new excise policy. In a review meeting with excise department officials on Tuesday, he stressed zero tolerance for substandard or illicit liquor and ordered a complete ban on suspicious brands. Only national and international high-quality labels should be sold, he said, adding that public health was the top priority.

Naidu criticised the previous government for allowing fake brands and linked the spread of drugs and ganja to politically backed “J brands.” These brands, he noted, have now largely disappeared. Officials informed him that 68 per cent of the liquor market was once dominated by such anonymous brands, but the new policy has nearly wiped them out.

Under the current liquor policy, state revenue has improved, and cross-border purchases have declined. Liquor prices in AP have also dropped for the first time — by Rs 10 to Rs 100 per bottle—saving consumers around Rs 116 crore monthly.

The Chief Minister directed officials to integrate advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and GPS to track liquor movement in real time from distilleries to retail outlets. He called for full digitalisation of transactions, a strict trace-and-track system, and analytics-based audits of inventories.

Naidu also stressed the need to eradicate illegal outlets and monitor activities like ginger ale extractions and natu sara (illicit liquor) production using drones.

The review meeting was attended by Excise Principal Secretary Mukesh Kumar Meena and other senior officials.