(Image source from: zeenews.com)

In an impressive move, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday said the government will assign Rs 500 crore for establishing de-addiction centers in the state and for implementation of prohibition.

The CM also directed officials to include lessons on how adversely liquor consumption affects.

According to officials, liquor consumption surprisingly saw an abrupt decline after the government started taking stern measures against illegal outlets with an aim to completely prohibit liquor in the state.

During a review meeting, the officials informed Y S Jagan that sale of liquor till July showed a decrease of 12 lakh cases compared to the previous year's figures. In the year 2018-19, Andhra Pradesh registered the sale of 125 lakh cases of liquor.

In the second phase of implementing a prohibition on liquor, the government will take over the liquor shops in a phased manner.

“It would initially open 503 liquor shops as a pilot project from September 1,” the officials said.

In the course towards implementing out-and-out prohibition, the liquor outlets would be cut down from 4,380 to 3,500. All in all, the liquor shops will be reduced by 20 percent in Andhra Pradesh.

Y S Jagan also urged officials to beef up the enforcement and police departments and asked to ensure that there is no smuggling of liquor by taking stern measures

He said women police should be employed in Village Secretariats for effective implementation of prohibition.

During the election campaign, Y S Jagan had promised total prohibition of liquor in the state. Once coming to power in May, he announced that prohibition will be implemented in a phased manner. In the month of June, he ordered a crackdown on 'belt shops'.

Early this month, the state Assembly passed a bill to provide for the government to take over the liquor business.