Vijayawada: New Excise Policy Approved by State Cabinet
The State Cabinet, led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, convened on Wednesday and approved a new Excise policy, set to take effect in the first week of October. This decision follows recommendations from the Cabinet Sub-Committee on liquor pricing, retail marketing, and taxation.
To enhance management efficiency, the Cabinet has decided to adopt a private retail system for liquor sales. Of the existing 3,736 retail outlets in the state, 10% will be designated for toddy tappers. Special guidelines will be issued for reserved outlets, and for unreserved shops, a 50% license fee will apply according to the proposed slabs.
Liquor outlets will be allocated through a lottery system to ensure transparency. The Chief Minister emphasized the need for quality liquor to be available at reasonable prices.
Minister for Information and Public Relations Kolusu Parthasarathy shared details with the media, announcing that the Cabinet approved a 33% reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in Legislative Bodies, which will be forwarded to the Centre. On the topic of the volunteer system, he noted that the previous YSRC government did not renew volunteer services after their tenure ended in August 2023. The Chief Minister requested more information regarding the volunteers, half of whom had reportedly resigned before the election.
The Cabinet also revoked a government order that provided Rs 200 to Village/Ward volunteers and Secretariat staff, citing a loss of Rs 102 Naming of Bhogapuram Airport and Other Initiatives
In addition, it was decided that the international airport in Bhogapuram will be named after freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju. The Cabinet approved the temporary filling of 58 posts in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) to enhance operational efficiency and address issues related to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF).
The Cabinet approved a preliminary corpus fund of Rs 100 crore for the financial year 2024-25, enabling MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) to secure loans of up to Rs 5 crore without collateral. Additionally, the establishment of the Andhra Pradesh Ex-Servicemen Corporation with a Rs 10 crore corpus fund was sanctioned, increasing the initial proposal from Rs 3 crore.
The Chief Minister directed irrigation officials to ensure that all reservoirs and minor irrigation tanks in Rayalaseema are filled this season. The Cabinet also decided to rename the Vision Document Vikasitha Andhra-2047 to Swarnandhra@2047, with stakeholder discussions scheduled from September 21 to October 5, prior to its release on November 1.
Furthermore, the Cabinet granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for SRM University in Amaravati to become a ‘Deemed to be University’, and approved the establishment of a second MSME Technology Centre-cum-Testing Facility in Amaravati, instead of at Kopparthy in YSR district. 
Positive Response from Ex-Servicemen Community
Ex-servicemen expressed gratitude to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan for the Cabinet’s decision to create a corporation focused on their welfare. During the Cabinet meeting, officials highlighted the importance of this initiative for the well-being of ex-servicemen and their families.