Bars pegged at 840, timings extended till midnight under new policy in A.P.
Nishant Kumar, Commissioner of Prohibition & Excise, at a press meet held at the Commissioner's Office in Mangalagiri on Monday, explained that under the new framework, notified through G.O. Ms. No. 275 dated August 13, 2025, the State has fixed the number of bars at 840, while reserving an additional 10% exclusively for Geetha Kulalu (toddy tapper community).
These reserved category bars will receive a 50% concession in licence fees, a move aimed at promoting social empowerment and broadening community participation.
All bar licences will be allotted through a public draw of lots, with a minimum of four valid applications required for each bar to qualify for the draw. The Commissioner said the system was designed to prevent speculative or single-party applications while fostering healthy competition. He noted that Andhra Pradesh's recent retail shop allotments drew an average of 26 applications per shop, compared to 131 applications per bar in Telangana's latest allotment.
Three slabs
The policy fixes the licence tenure at three years, from September 1, 2025, to August 31, 2028. The licence fees have been rationalised across population slabs: ₹35 lakh for towns with up to 50,000 residents, ₹55 lakh for populations between 50,001 and 5 lakh, and ₹75 lakh for cities with more than 5 lakh people. A 10% annual increase will apply across all categories.
The fees can be paid in six instalments, with one instalment secured by a bank guarantee.
Bars will be permitted in urban local bodies and notified tourism centres, excluding religious destinations. Provisions have also been made to expand into industrial corridors, metropolitan development areas, and SEZs in the future. In Tirupati, however, strict restrictions have been imposed, with bars barred along routes leading to Alipiri and Tirumala.
Officials underlined that the new licence fee structure is kept below retail shop licence slabs, ensuring long-term viability and predictability for operators. This, they said, would avoid the problem of vacant licences, citing the 44 that went unallotted even after re-auctions in 2022–23.
Mr. Nishant Kumar said the New Bar Policy 2025–28 represents a decisive step towards transparency, inclusivity, and sustainability. He emphasised that the framework provides equal opportunities for both established operators and new entrants, while keeping bar businesses viable and accountable across Andhra Pradesh.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- The Hindu
Bars pegged at 840, timings extended till midnight under new policy in A.P.
The Government of Andhra Pradesh has announced the New Bar Policy 2025–28, introducing reforms aimed at ensuring transparency, social equity, and financial sustainability in bar operations. It has also extended the timings, allowing the bars to function from 10 a.m. to 12 midnight. Nishant Kumar, Commissioner of Prohibition & Excise, at a press meet held at the Commissioner's Office in Mangalagiri on Monday, explained that under the new framework, notified through G.O. Ms. No. 275 dated August 13, 2025, the State has fixed the number of bars at 840, while reserving an additional 10% exclusively for Geetha Kulalu (toddy tapper community). These reserved category bars will receive a 50% concession in licence fees, a move aimed at promoting social empowerment and broadening community participation. All bar licences will be allotted through a public draw of lots, with a minimum of four valid applications required for each bar to qualify for the draw. The Commissioner said the system was designed to prevent speculative or single-party applications while fostering healthy competition. He noted that Andhra Pradesh's recent retail shop allotments drew an average of 26 applications per shop, compared to 131 applications per bar in Telangana's latest allotment. Three slabs The policy fixes the licence tenure at three years, from September 1, 2025, to August 31, 2028. The licence fees have been rationalised across population slabs: ₹35 lakh for towns with up to 50,000 residents, ₹55 lakh for populations between 50,001 and 5 lakh, and ₹75 lakh for cities with more than 5 lakh people. A 10% annual increase will apply across all categories. The fees can be paid in six instalments, with one instalment secured by a bank guarantee. Bars will be permitted in urban local bodies and notified tourism centres, excluding religious destinations. Provisions have also been made to expand into industrial corridors, metropolitan development areas, and SEZs in the future. In Tirupati, however, strict restrictions have been imposed, with bars barred along routes leading to Alipiri and Tirumala. Officials underlined that the new licence fee structure is kept below retail shop licence slabs, ensuring long-term viability and predictability for operators. This, they said, would avoid the problem of vacant licences, citing the 44 that went unallotted even after re-auctions in 2022–23. Mr. Nishant Kumar said the New Bar Policy 2025–28 represents a decisive step towards transparency, inclusivity, and sustainability. He emphasised that the framework provides equal opportunities for both established operators and new entrants, while keeping bar businesses viable and accountable across Andhra Pradesh.
Hans India
14 hours ago
- Hans India
AP Government announces new bar policy 2025–28; lottery system to replace auctions : Collector Ranjith Basha
Kurnool: The Government of Andhra Pradesh has introduced the New Bar Policy 2025–28, bringing in sweeping reforms in the allotment of bar licenses across the State. Replacing the earlier auction-based system of 2022–25, the government has now adopted a transparent lottery-based mechanism to ensure fairness, accountability, and financial stability in the sector. In Kurnool district, applications are being invited for 23 bar licenses, stated district collector P Ranjith Basha on Monday. According to an official gazette notification issued with the approval of the District Collector, applications will be received at the District Prohibition and Excise Officer's office from August 18 to 26, 2025. The lottery draw will be conducted by the District Collector on August 28, 2025, at the Zilla Parishad conference hall. Successful applicants will be granted licenses by the District Excise Officer following the draw. The new policy introduces several key features: a reduced application fee of Rs 5 lakh plus a processing fee of Rs.10,000, simplified entry rules that no longer mandate a pre-existing restaurant, and provision for setting up the restaurant within 15 days of license allotment. License fees have also been rationalized—Rs.35 lakh in areas with population up to 50,000, Rs 55 lakh in areas between 50,000 and 5 lakh, and Rs 75 lakh in cities above 5 lakh population. License fee payments can be made in six equal instalments with a single instalment bank guarantee, while business hours have been extended from 10 a.m. to midnight (14 hours). Officials said the new bar policy is designed to promote transparency by eliminating scope for irregularities, ease financial burden on entrepreneurs, and ensure a level playing field with A4 retail liquor shops as both will procure stock from APSBCL. With lower fees, flexible payment terms, and extended operating hours, the policy is expected to strengthen business viability and consumer convenience while creating equal opportunities for entrepreneurs in both urban and semi-urban areas. Sudheer Babu, District Prohibition & Excise Officer, joint Collector Dr B Navya, DRO and others participated.
The Hindu
14 hours ago
- The Hindu
Andhra Minister Nara Lokesh meets Union Minister Jaishankar; seeks support for various initiatives
Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi on Monday (August 18, 2025) and sought his support for collaborations with the Governments of Singapore and various other countries. He also requested Mr. Jaishankar to help positioning Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) as a frontrunner in India's global workforce vision. Mr. Lokesh apprised the Union Minister of the recent visit to Singapore by a high-level delegation of the Andhra Pradesh Government led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. Nara Lokesh draws flak from farmers' unions of his own State for trying to take advantage of Karnataka's 'pro-farmer stand' He mentioned that A.P. has a vibrant diaspora of more than 3.50 million spread across 130 countries, including a million in the U.S., 8,00,000 in Gulf nations and 4,00,000 in Europe, and the per capita income of the Telugu people in the U.S. was $1,26,000, which was much higher than the American average of $70,000. 'This was a testament to the accomplishments of the Telugu diaspora,' he said. Mr. Lokesh also showcased Andhra Pradesh's forward-looking initiatives to strengthen global skills and diaspora engagement. These include forging skill development and institutional partnerships with countries such as Russia and Australia through 'twinning of institutions' and joint training programmes. Further, Mr. Lokesh reiterated A.P.'s commitment to data-sharing and collaboration with the Centre to track labour market trends and overseas employment opportunities for its workforce. Architecture University issue: Nara Lokesh accuses Jagan Mohan Reddy of jeopardising future of students He sought the Ministry of External Affairs 's support in extending welfare and protection schemes for migrant workers from Andhra Pradesh, including expanded access to insurance schemes such as Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana. He pitched for Central assistance for setting up an AI Centre of Excellence and a Data City in Visakhapatnam.
