Amaravati, June 28 (HS): The Andhra Pradesh Government has permitted the establishment of bars and liquor shops at airports across the state, except at Tirupati Airport, by issuing fresh licensing guidelines through the Excise Department.

According to an official order issued on Saturday, airport bar licences will allow a maximum of three service points under a single licence, with operations permitted round the clock. The government clarified that the functioning of these outlets must comply with airport operational requirements, security protocols and law-and-order regulations.

As per the order, applicants seeking a bar licence at an airport must submit an application in Form-1B along with a non-refundable fee of Rs 5 lakh to the concerned Excise Deputy Commissioner. After due verification, the District Excise Officer will issue the licence in Form-2B.

For liquor shops, applicants recommended by the airport operator will be required to submit an application in Form A-3(B) with a non-refundable application fee of Rs 2 lakh. The licence will be issued by the concerned District Excise Officer after verification and will remain valid for the duration of the agreement or Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the airport operator and the licensee.

The government said the decision follows a study conducted by a group of ministers on the management of airport bar licences and policies followed in Delhi, Maharashtra, Telangana and Karnataka. Based on the panel's recommendations, fresh norms have been issued regarding licence fees, operating hours and liquor service counters.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar