Amaravati, May 5: The Andhra Pradesh government, headed by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, on Tuesday, hiked prices of liquor by 50 percent in the state. Following the steep hike, prices of alcohol in Andhra Pradesh are set to rise. According to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), prices of liquor were increased "to discourage alcohol consumption" as long queues were seen outside booze shops amid the coronavirus outbreak. Liquor Prices Shoot Up in Delhi, Govt Levies 70% Tax as 'Special Corona Fees' on MRP to Mitigate COVID-19 Impact.

Earlier, the Andhra Pradesh government had raised prices of alcohol by 25 percent to prevent crowding at liquor shops amid the pandemic. Despite hiked rates, large queues of people were seen outside liquor shops across the state. While the shops are allowed to remain open from 11 am to 7 pm, customers had queued up much before the opening timings. Many shop owners had to shut by afternoon after they ran out of stock. Alcohol Worth Over Rs 100 Crore Sold in Uttar Pradesh on First Day of Liquor Shops' Reopening After 40-Day Shutdown.

As part of easing the lockdown restrictions and generate revenue, liquor shops reopened on Monday across the country, including red zones but not in hotspots, declared as coronavirus containment zones. Social distancing, however, went for a toss after a flood of people flocked to buy alcohol after a long dry spell. The Delhi government imposed a 'special corona fee' on alcohol sale which will be 70 percent of the MRP.

The move of increasing alcohol prices can be seen as the Delhi and Andhra Pradesh government's attempt to harvest more revenue from liquor sales as the lockdown has affected businesses and tax collection, and prevent the gathering of large crowds outside shops.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 05, 2020 11:59 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).