Lottery for Liquor Shops in Visakhapatnam on March 31

The Excise and Prohibition Department will be holding a lottery on March 31 in Visakhapatnam. The lottery will be held for allowing 401 liquor shops to carry out liquor business in the district. The department announced the same yesterday.

The Excise and Prohibition Deputy Commissioner Ch Gopala Krishna stated that applications from liquor traders will be received online till 5 PM on March 30. He further added, “Details can be obtained at the nearest excise office. Applicants must submit their Aadhaar and PAN numbers along with the application.”

The shops that will be allotted permission at the lottery will be allowed to carry out liquor trade from April 1, 2017 to June 30, 2019 in the district. As per the new liquor policy, all the existing shops located 500 mts along the state and national highways will be removed. The new liquor policy also permits sale of alcohol in shopping malls or any other commercial establishments. The Excise department hopes that commercial establishments like Spencer’s will show interest in the same.

So far it is only Spencer’s that is allowed and has permission for sale of liquor. “Only Spencer’s had the licence to sell liquor till now. Now, we are asking similar establishments to participate in a lottery organised by the department to get the licence from April 1,” said Ch Gopala Krishna

The aim behind the lottery is to put a check on the violation of MRP in wine shops. “Despite frequent raids and enforcement measures, MRP violation by a section of wine shop traders continues. In order to check such illegal practices, we are asking chain market leaders which do not violating the MRP to take up the trade,” he further stated.