The Hindu Business Line : AP wine dealers against cancelling of existing licences

THE Andhra Pradesh State Wine Dealers' Association (APSWD), representing the Rs 6,500-crore liquor business in the State, has appealed to the Government to continue the old excise policy by retaining the licences of existing dealers.

"The Government can grant new licences," Mr Rayala Subba Rao, President of APSWD, said.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, he wondered why the Government wanted to cancel their licences and issue afresh 7,500 licences.

"We have not committed serious economic crimes or caused loss of lives. The Government can take to task those violating rules and selling spurious liquor," he said.

He said liquor syndicates from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka had pumped in hundreds of crores to get a maximum number of licences when the Government wanted to go in for lottery system to issue licences.

"The Government can always take measures to rectify loopholes in the existing policy instead of cancelling all our licences," he said.

The Government could also increase licence fee to get more collections.

He said the liquor trade was in deep crisis with low margins that hardly supported maintenance costs.

Mr Subba Rao said the official machinery persuaded the Government to move Supreme Court against the High Court judgment on its policy. He pointed out that the High Court had directed the Government to allow the existing dealers to continue.

He refuted the allegations that the association paid bribes to officials and a mediator to influence the Government in their favour.

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