Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy at a review meeting of the Excise department in Hyderabad on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: By Arrangement
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy made it clear that any decision on the price hike of liquor in Telangana would be based on the report of the Price Fixation Committee headed by a retired High Court judge.
Mr. Reddy also made it clear that the government would not bow to the pressures of the companies supplying liquor over price hike. The statement comes in the wake of United Beverages company demanding that the prices of beer be increased by 33.1%.
The Chief Minister made these observations when officials brought to his notice the demands of the beverages companies to raise the prices, at a review meeting with Excise department officials on Saturday. Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka, Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, Chief Secretary Shanti Kumari, Special Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao were among those present.
The Chief Minister suggested to the officials to examine the prices of beer in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and other States. He also instructed officials to follow a transparent process to select companies that come forward to supply liquor in the State.
He said a notification should be issued to receive applications from new companies and deadline should be fixed giving them at least a month for fairness. Companies should apply with their brand names, quality and their capacity to supply.
The Chief Minister instructed the Finance department officials to gradually clear the dues imposed by the previous government.
Published – January 11, 2025 08:49 pm IST