Latest news with #KolluRavindra
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Liquor scam mastermind will be revealed soon: Andhra Min Kollu Ravindra
ANANTAPUR: Reacting to Rajampet MP Mithun Reddy's arrest, Minister for Excise Kollu Ravindra has said the liquor scam during the previous YSRCP regime is the largest in the country, with small players being exposed, but the main culprit will soon be brought to light. He expressed surprise at the extent of corruption that had taken place, and noted that the State had incurred debts of over Rs 10 lakh crore. Projects like Polavaram and Amaravati were stalled, and there were instances of illegal arrests, atrocities, and looting during the previous regime, he said. The Excise Minister participated in the Suparipalanalo Toli Adugu programme held at Kanaganapalli Mandal Centre of Sri Sathya Sai district on Sunday. He also took part in several other development programmes. On the occasion, he reiterated that the mastermind behind the liquor scam will soon be revealed, emphasising the government's commitment to uncovering the truth. Ravindra recalled his own experience of being arrested and jailed for 53 days, along with many other TDP leaders who faced similar treatment during the YSRCP regime.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Top priority to law and order maintenance in Andhra: HM Vangalapudi Anitha
VIJAYAWADA: Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha has said top priority is being accorded to effective maintenance of law and order in the State by strengthening the Police Department with the state-of-the-art infrastructure. The Home Minister, along with Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra, APSRTC Chairman Konakalla Narayana Rao, Eluru Range IG Ashok Kumar, and Krishna SP R Gangadhara, laid the foundation stone for the District Police Centre at China Kara Agraharam in Machilipatnam on Thursday. The training centre is being constructed on 46 acres at an estimated cost of Rs 32 crore. Speaking on the occasion, the Home Minister said there were no proper police training centres in the State post bifurcation. Though the proposal for setting up a training centre was made during the previous TDP regime (2014-19), it did not materialise due to the negligence of the YSRCP government. 'Steps are being taken to prevent crimes by installing one lakh CCTV cameras across the State, besides using drone technology,' she said. The Home Minister announced that the marine police station at Gilakaladindi will be renovated as per the Excise Minister's request. Kollu said the training centre will be a boon to Machilipatnam. There will be separate facilities to train men and women at the centre. Steps will be taken to set up a training centre for Excise cops in the same area, he said. MLAs Yarlagadda Venkata Rao (Gannavaram), Venigandla Ramu (Gudivada), and Varla Kumar Raja (Pamaru), MUDA Chairman Matta Prasad and others were present.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Big liquor brands regain market share after excise policy changes in AP
Vijayawada: Many liquor brands that went off the shelves in the last five years have now not only made a comeback but also regained significant market share in Andhra Pradesh. The overall market share of liquor brands owned by multinational companies (MNCs) and brands with a national presence have reached 56% — an increase of more than 150% compared to their presence during the previous YSRCP regime. The market share of lesser-known brands has decreased to just 7%, which used to be 68% during the previous regime. None of the suppliers have more than 20% of the market share. According to excise minister Kollu Ravindra, the reason for the increase in market share of well-established brands is the automated order-placing system. "We are placing orders as per the demand from consumers. We didn't do anything either to favour a particular brand or to prevent any brand from accessing the market in AP. Our system places indents based on the demand and supply mechanism without any manual intervention," explained Ravindra. While MNCs had a negligible presence during the previous regime, a few companies with national presence like Tilak Nagar Industries (8%), Radico Khaitan (6%), and Jagatjit Industries (3%) got a share in the market before the NDA govt came to power in the state in June 2024. The other top 25 brands together had only 11% of the market share. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like You Won't Believe the Price of These Dubai Apartments Binghatti Developers FZE Get Offer Undo After the change of policy by the NDA govt in the state, the market share of Tilak Nagar Industries increased to 12%, while that of Radico Khaitan rose to 18%. Pernod Ricard and United Spirits, which vanished from the state during the previous regime, have now gained 7% and 12% market share, respectively. Even the market share of other top 25 brands has increased from 11% to 18% after the NDA govt came to power. Another significant difference, according to Ravindra, is the reduction in illicit liquor. "There has been a remarkable improvement on this front as nine districts have been declared illicit liquor-free. Non-availability of favoured brands is one reason for people to opt for illicit liquor. Operation Navodayam launched against this menace is giving good results, and we are confident of making more districts arrack-free in the coming days," said Ravindra. HIC HIC HOORAY Market share of various companies before and after the new excise policy (in %) MNC Brands United Spirits | 0 to 11.4 Pernod Ricard | 0 to 7.3 Brands with national presence Radico Khaitan | 6.2 to 18.3 Tilaknagar Industries | 8.2 to 11.4 Allied Blenders | 1.4 to 7.7 InBrew | 1.8 to 6.6 John Distilleries | 0 to 6.2 Other Top 25 brands 11.1 to 19.3 Lesser-known brands 68.2 to 7.2 Prices have come down by Rs 10 to Rs 100 on various brands of liquor and beer Excise dept estimates Rs 110 crore savings per month for consumers due to price reduction Prices of 30 brands having a market share of 87% in AP are lower than in Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu
New Indian Express
14-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Minister Kollu hits back at YSRCP for its divisive tactics
VIJAYAWADA: Mines, Geology, and Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra accused the YSRCP, led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, of orchestrating violence and conspiracies to destabilise the State and defame the TDP-led coalition government. Speaking to media personnel at the TDP national office in Mangalagiri on Sunday, Kollu lambasted the YSRCP for resorting to divisive tactics to create unrest and obstruct the State's progress. He warned that the public is aware of YSRCP's tactics and predicted the party's political decline, stating, 'From 151, to 11, YSRCP's downfall is evident, and soon it will vanish from Andhra's political landscape.' Regarding the recent incident involving Krishna district ZP chairperson Uppala Harika, Ravindra clarified that her vehicle was released by police, but she returned and verbally abused TDP leaders and law enforcement, provoking a reaction from locals. He accused YSRCP of attempting to falsely pin the blame on the TDP leadership to tarnish their image. 'YSRCP's efforts to create chaos and attribute it to TDP have failed,' Kollu asserted, alleging that Jagan's leadership is fostering lawlessness across Andhra Pradesh. Kollu claimed that during its five-year rule, the YSRCP regime 'ruined' the State, creating an environment of fear that deterred investors.
New Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
NDA government is trying to eradicate poverty: Minister Kollu Ravindra
VIJAYAWADA: Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra on Monday said the coalition government is committed to eradicating poverty through the newly launched P4 (People's Progress through Participatory Planning) initiative, which also aligns with the State's Vision 2047. He announced plans to achieve 15% growth in the State GDP over the next four years through focused development in key sectors. Speaking at the Suparipalanalo Toliu Adugu programme in Machilipatnam, the minister said the initiative—meaning 'First Step in Good Governance'— aims to swiftly address public grievances. He urged officials to respond promptly to issues raised by citizens, underlining that efficient grievance redressal is vital to good governance. Ravindra said the government is working to boost income in agriculture, industry, services, and tourism by establishing planning committees at district, constituency, mandal, and division levels. He stressed that special attention is being given to the development of the gold covering industry in Machilipatnam. Efforts are also underway to resolve infrastructure problems such as roads, drinking water, and drainage.
