State to retain current liquor policy till june 2013
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The state government has decided to go on with the present procurement policy for beer that put an end to the monopoly of Kingfisher owned by Vijay Mallya. The Chief Minister, Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, is said to have directed the revenue department to retain the existing rate contract for beer till June 2013. It may be recalled that the Rosaiah government had changed the beer procurement policy in favour of Mr Mallya’s UB group, but the current government scrapped the policy and opened the market for all players.
Sources said principal secretary Asutosh Mishra directed AP Beverages Corporation Limited to exclude beer from the tender process for purchasing liquor. He said in the order that the present rate contract arrangement for beer should be extended from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013. The government’s decision is backed by a High Court judgement that upheld its effort to end the monopoly of a single brand. The government also directed APBCL to issue fresh tenders for procurement of liquor. Though the government has retained the existing policy for liquor also, the distilleries objected and wanted the government to call for fresh tenders. Sources said the government would, however, stick to the existing rates, and make the tender process a mere formality.
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