Amaravati: Rubbishing the false propaganda of a section of media on availability of foreign liquor at restaurants in Tourism places, Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivas Rao said this practice is in vogue since long.Liquor is made available at those places for foreigners and it's only to promote tourism.

Speaking to media here on Thursday, the Minister said the state government stands by implementing prohibition in phases and foreign liquor is made available at restaurants only to promote tourism across the state and questioned why liquor is sold in star hotels at RFC in Hyderabad and Dolphin hotel in Vishakapatnam of Ramoji Rao, who also owns a publication house.

He flayed Chandrababu Naidu and TDP leaders for alleging that the state government is promoting liquor in the state and said it was Naidu who encouraged belt shops across the state and also made arrangements for door delivery of liquor. He reminded that YSRCP government has closed 43,000 belt shops and abolished permit rooms and decreased wine shops and bars across the state.

The Minister said in Kerala 14 percent of revenue in GDP comes from tourism while 64 percent of revenue in Andhra Pradesh comes from agriculture. The state government is planning to increase the revenue share of tourism and thus allowed foreign liquor at restaurants in Tourism places. He told TDP and a section of media not to politics the issues related to tourism in the state.

The Minister said while the state government has been conducting vaccination drive successfully through newly setup Village and Ward Secretariats and Volunteer systems and film actor Chiranjeevi and others were priasing the Chief Minister, it was Naidu and Lokesh who were politicising even that.