The YSR Congress government’s liquor policy faced criticism for several reasons. Not only was there concern about the quality of liquor, with reports of fake and unsafe alcohol, but also, liquor stores only accepted cash payments, leading to suspicions of unrecorded sales.
However, with the change in government, there’s a noticeable shift in policy at liquor stores in Andhra Pradesh. Under the new TDP+ alliance, liquor outlets now prominently display signs stating “No cash. Only digital payments.” This move aims to bring more transparency to liquor sales by allowing transactions to be tracked by the government.
In addition to promoting digital payments, Chandrababu Naidu has pledged to improve the quality of liquor. This comes in response to the presence of counterfeit alcohol during the previous government’s tenure, which tragically led to loss of lives.