tirupati: GST Minister Kollu Ravindra outlines the government’s commitment to restore public health and state revenue through reform and transparent alcohol policies.
Speaking at a state review meeting with excise tax officials on Wednesday, the minister claimed that the previous administration removed the state’s excise tax system under the guise of a ban and created conditions for selling harmful alcohol to the public.
He said the YSRC government nationalized alcohol and operated it like a commercial empire. “The removal of multinational brands and the public is forced to consume substandard local alcohol, causing serious health problems and increasing cross-border smuggling.”
“Our market collapses due to poor quality and unreliable supply, people suffer, revenues fall and alcohol sales soar.”
The minister allegedly had huge financial irregularities during the YSRC deadline, noting that a transaction of Rs 100,000 crore occurred under the “cash and carry” model, which is under investigation in CID. He also accused the former regime of pledging future alcohol revenues to receive a loan of Rs 3.2 crore.
Ravindra claims that the current administration proposed a research-based alcohol policy that drew one from the successful model of six states. “We have ensured transparency – digital payments from vending machines to lottery to every socket. Nearly 90,000 applications for store licenses have generated Rs 18,000 crore.”
He said more than 350 quality wine brands are now available on the AP, including famous brands that were previously deleted. Prices are consistent with those of neighboring countries to reduce illegal imports. New measures such as online indentation and “track and tracking” systems have been introduced to ensure accountability.
As part of the anti-fixation initiative, Ravendra said coordination with the state interior department led to the formation of a special Eagle team to combat Ganja smuggling. He claimed that under the Navodayam 2.0 mission, the AP was directed to an unpopular and ganja-free country.
