Opening of liquor vends in AP leads to chaos:govt nets Rs40 cr

: The opening of liquor vends in Andhra Pradesh on Monday as part of implementing the relaxed guidelines on lockdown led to chaos with people lining up outside liquor shops, ignoring physical distancing norms as government pegged the sale at Rs 40 crore.

Of the total 3,468 retail liquor outlets run by the state-owned AP State Beverages Corporation Limited, 2,345 were opened in various districts following easing of lockdown restrictions by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

Even in the coronavirus hotspot districts like Kurnool, Guntur and Krishna, a good number of shops were re-opened as hundreds of people lined up to purchase liquor despite the government enhancing the rates by 25 per cent.

A report from SPS Nellore district that one person collapsed and died of sunstroke while waiting to buy liquor at Podalakuru village, but the Superintendent of Police Bhaskar Bhushan denied any such incident.]