Officials giving a demonstration of AP Excise Suraksha App in the press conference held by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at his camp office near Vijayawada on Sunday. Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra is seen
| Photo Credit: Arrangement
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday announced the launch of the A.P. Excise Suraksha App, designed to help the government curb the menace of spurious liquor by enabling consumers to verify the quality of alcohol sold at licensed outlets. The app will be fully operational from October 16 and available for download on Google Play Store from Monday, October 13.
Addressing media, Mr. Naidu said the app will track the manufacturing and sale details of liquor bottles scanned by consumers or sellers. It will also be geo-tagged with authorised shops to prevent diversion of liquor to unauthorised outlets, commonly known as belt shops.
Referring to the spurious liquor racket recently busted at Mulakalacheruvu in Annamayya district, the Chief Minister said the illegal operation was linked to traders based in Ibrahimpatnam near Vijayawada, with connections traced as far as Africa. “The process of exposing those involved is under way,” he said.
So far, 16 of the 23 accused have been arrested, and transit warrants issued for four suspects hiding abroad.
Mr. Naidu said the government had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Inspector-General of Police G. V. G. Ashok Kumar. The SIT also includes Director of Enforcement, Prohibition and Excise Rahul Dev Sharma, CID SP K. Chakravarthy, IPS officer Malika Garg, and an Excise Department expert. It will probe the Mulakalacheruvu incident and prepare a roadmap to revamp the excise administration system.
Taking a dig at the previous government, the Chief Minister alleged that the YSRCP regime had legalised “own brands” and captured distilleries, leading to a major scam now being uncovered. He cautioned Excise Department officers and employees against any involvement in the liquor trade.
Mr. Naidu added that liquor consumers could report complaints about alcohol quality through the toll-free number 14405. Steps are being taken to ensure strict quality control at distilleries through a track-and-trace mechanism before products reach the market.
Published – October 12, 2025 10:12 pm IST
