Coalition govt. cleaned up excise sector after YSRCP rule: Minister

Minister for Excise and Mines & Geology Kollu Ravindra on Monday asserted that the coalition government had brought transparency and accountability to the excise sector through a policy built on technology, consumer choice, quality control and revenue growth. In contrast, he alleged that the excise system was undermined during the YSRCP regime between 2019 and 2024 due to a flawed liquor policy and widespread corruption.

Addressing the media at the Secretariat, Mr. Ravindra said the TDP-JSP-BJP alliance had initiated a series of reforms soon after assuming office, restoring order to the sector. The government was pursuing four key objectives: protection of public health, transparent governance, elimination of irregularities and enhancement of State revenue, he said.

The Minister stated that the private retail liquor system had been revived and new shop licences were allotted through a transparent lottery process, leaving no scope for middlemen or unauthorised payments. The allotment process witnessed an overwhelming response, with multiple applications received for each outlet across the State, he added.

Mr. Ravindra said consumer preferences and market demand were given priority while framing the policy. Several national and international liquor brands that were unavailable during the previous regime had been reintroduced, while a wider range of premium and super-premium products was now available. In the beer segment alone, more than 46 brands were being offered to consumers, he said.

Emphasising quality control, the Minister said every liquor product was subjected to testing based on established standards, with each brand evaluated against more than 13 quality parameters. A dedicated surveillance mechanism had also been put in place to detect adulteration, counterfeit brands, smuggling and tax evasion.

He further said revenue leakages had been curbed through digital payments, online tracking, real-time monitoring and stricter oversight of the supply chain.

Principal Secretary (Excise) Mukesh Kumar Meena, Prohibition and Excise Commissioner Chamukuri Sridhar, and Director Rahul Dev Sharma were present.