Lok Satta Protests Belt Shop Auction

Urging the Government to stop auctioning belt shops in the State, Lok Satta party workers staged a dharna in front of the Secretariat on Saturday.

The party found fault with the government for encouraging people to consume more alcohol and thereby help raise the revenues to the State.

Andhra Pradesh, once a state with total prohibition, has witnessed a tremendous increase in the consumption of liquor. 12 years after total prohibition was lifted by the Chandrababu Naidu government, the state is one of the largest consumers of liquor in the country today, with excise revenue of over Rs. 10,000 crore per annum.

In spite of a growing movement against small liquor shops in the rural areas, thousands have filed tender applications for retail liquor shops in the state, aiming to cash in on the lucrative business.

Due to the huge turnout of applicants in the last couple of days, the state excise authorities have been asked to keep their counters open till the midnight of Saturday, the last day

Courtesy: Media Today