The Telangana Intoxicating Liquors (Prohibition of Advertisements) Act, 1978.

THE TELANGANA INTOXICATING LIQUORS (PROHIBITION OF 
ADVERTISEMENTS) ACT, 1978. 

(ACT NO.30 OF 1978) 

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 

Sections 

1. Short title, extent and commencement. 

2. Definitions. 

3. Prohibition of advertisements. 

4. Power to enter and inspect places or premises and 
seize articles. 

5. Confiscation. 

6. Compounding of offences. 

7. Offences under Act to be cognizable. 

8. Abetments and attempts. 

9. Protection of persons acting in good faith. 

10. Offences by Companies. 

11. Power to make rules. 

12. Cessor of section 6 of Act X of 1937. 

 



THE TELANGANA INTOXICATING LIQUORS (PROHIBITION 
OF ADVERTISEMENTS) ACT, 1978.1 

 
ACT No. 30 OF 1978. 

 
1. (1) This Act may be called the 2Telangana Intoxicating 
Liquors (Prohibition of Advertisements) Act, 1978.  
 
 (2) It extends to the whole of the State of 2Telangana. 
 
 (3) It shall come into force on such date as the State 
Government may, by notification, appoint. 
 
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,- 
 
 (1) „advertisement‟ includes any notice, circular, lable, 
wrapper or other document or a cinematograph film or slide 
used, or any sky sign or sign-board, baloon, parachute or 
other similar device employed, or any announcement made, 
orally or by any means of producing or transmitting light, 
sound or smoke, as a means or method of attracting public 
attention; 
 
 (2) „excise officer‟ means the Commissioner, the 
Collector or any officer or other person lawfully appointed or 
invested with powers under relevant provisions of the 
3Telangana Excise Act, 1968; 

                                                           
1. The Andhra Pradesh Intoxicating Liquors (Prohibition of 
Advertisements) Act, 1978 received the assent of the President on the 
23rd October, 1978. The said Act in force in the combined State as on 
01.06.2014, has been adapted to the State of Telangana under section 
101 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 (Central Act 6 of 
2014) vide. Notification issued in G.O.Ms.No.236, Revenue (Excise II) 
Department, dated 15.12.2015.  
2. Substituted by G.O.Ms.No.236, Revenue (Excise II) Department, 
dated 15.12.2015. 
3. Adapted by G.O.Ms.No.162, Revenue (Excise-II) Department, dated 
10.09.2015. 

Short title, extent 
and 
commencement. 

Definitions. 

Act 17 of 1968. 



2  [Act No.30 of 1978] 

 (3) „Government‟ means the State Government; 
 
 (4) „liquor‟ includes,- 
 
  (a) spirits of wine, denatured spirits, methylated 
spirits, rectified spirits, wine, beer, toddy and every liquid 
consisting of or containing alcohol; and 
 
  (b) any other intoxicating substance which the 
Government may, by notification, declare to be liquor for the 
purpose of this Act; 
 
 (5) „notification‟ means a notification published in the 
4Telangana Gazette, and the term „notified‟ shall be 
construed accordingly; 
 
 (6) „prescribed‟ means prescribed by rules made by 
the Government under this Act. 
 
3. Whoever prints or publishes, in any newspaper, book, 
leaflet, booklet or any other single or periodical publication, 
any advertisement or otherwise displays any advertisement 
to public view in any manner whatsoever in any place, 
whether public or private, or distributes any advertisement 
or other matter, soliciting the use of, or offering any liquor, 
shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may 
extend to six months or with fine which may extend to 
4[Rupees Twenty five thousands] or with both: 
 
 Provided that this section shall not apply-  
 
 (a) to plain catalogues and price lists which may be 
generally or specially approved by the Commissioner of 
Excise; or  

                                                           
4. Substituted by G.O.Ms.No.236, Revenue (Excise-II) Department, 
dated 15.12.2015. 

Prohibition of 
advertisements. 



[Act No.30 of 1978]  3 

 (b) to advertisements in medical journals, or to notices 
and literature circulated exclusively to members of the 
medical profession, if such advertisement, notices or 
literature relate to any liquor which has been specially 
approved as of medicinal value – 
 
  (i) by the Medical Council established by the 
5Telangana Medical Practitioners Registration Act, 1968; or 
 
  (ii) by any other Medical Council which has been 
established under any law for the time being in force in any 
other part of India, or which has been recognized by the 
Government of the State concerned; or  
 
  (iii) by such authority in respect of Indian Medicine as 
may be notified by the Government. 
 
4. (1) Any excise officer, not below the rank of 
6[Prohibition and Excise Sub-Inspector], 7[xxx] shall have 
power to enter and inspect at any time, by day or by night, 
any place or premises, where he has reason to believe that 
an offence under this Act has been, is being, or is likely to 
be committed, and may seize and detain any article or thing 
which he has reason to believe to be liable to confiscation 
under this Act. 
 
 (2) Every person in occupation of any such place or 
premises shall allow the officer such access to the place or 
premises as may be necessary for the aforesaid purpose 
and shall answer to the best of his knowledge and belief any 
question put to him by such officer. 

                                                           
5. Adapted by G.O.Ms.No.68, Health, Medical and Family Welfare (C.1) 
Department, dated 03.08.2015. 
6. Substituted by G.O.Ms.No.236, Revenue (Excise II) Department, 
dated 15.12.2015. 
7. Omitted by G.O.Ms.No.236, Revenue (Excise II) Department, dated 
15.12.2015. 

Act 23 of 1968. 

Power to enter 
and inspect 
places or 
premises and 
seize articles. 



4  [Act No.30 of 1978] 

 (3) If any officer empowered to make an entry under 
this section cannot otherwise make such entry, it shall be 
lawful for him to break open any outer or inner door or 
window and to remove any other obstacles to his entry into 
any such place or premises. 
 
 (4) Whoever does any act in contravention of the 
provisions of sub-section (2) shall be punished with fine 
which may extend to 8[two thousand rupees.]  
 
5. (1) In any case in which an offence has been 
committed against any provisions of this Act, the materials, 
implements or apparatus in respect or by means of which 
the offence has been committed shall be liable to 
confiscation along with the receptacles, packages or 
coverings and animals, vessels, vehicles, carts or other 
conveyances used to hold or carry the same: 
 
 Provided that if anything is not the property of the 
offender it shall not be confiscated, if the owner thereof had 
no reason to believe that such offence was being or was 
likely to be committed. 
 
 (2) Where in any case tried by a court, the court 
decides that anything is liable to confiscation under this 
section it shall order confiscation of such thing. 
 
 (3) When an offence under this Act has been 
committed, but the offender is not known or cannot be 
found, or when anything liable to confiscation under this Act 
and not in the possession of any person cannot be 
satisfactorily accounted for, the case shall be enquired into 
and determined by an excise officer, not below the rank of 

                                                           
8. Substituted by G.O.Ms.No.236, Revenue (Excise -II) Department, 
dated 15.12.2015.  

Confiscation. 



[Act No.30 of 1978]  5 

9[Prohibition and Excise Superintendent] who may order 
such confiscation: 
 
 Provided that no such order shall be made until the 
expiration of one month from the date of seizing the articles 
or things intended to be confiscated or without hearing the 
persons, if any, claiming any right thereto and evidence, if 
any, which they produce in support of their claims: 
 
 Provided further that if the article or thing in question is 
liable to speedy and natural decay or if the excise officer 
aforesaid is of opinion that the sale would be for the benefit 
of its owner, he may at any time direct it to be sold, and the 
provisions of this section shall, as nearly as may be 
practicable, apply to the net proceeds of such sale. 
 
6. (1) 9[The Commissioner of Prohibition and Excise] or 
any excise officer specially empowered by the Government 
in that behalf may accept from any person who is 
reasonably suspected of having committed an offence 
under this Act, a sum of money not exceeding five thousand 
rupees and subject to such minima as may be prescribed 
by way of compensation for the offence which may have 
been committed; and in all cases in which any article or 
thing has been seized as liable to confiscation under this 
Act, he may release the same on payment of the value 
thereof as estimated by such officer. 
 
 (2) On the payment by the person the sum of money or 
the value or both, as the case may be, such person, if in 
custody shall be set at liberty, and all the articles or things 
seized may be released and no proceedings shall be 
instituted against such person in any criminal court. The 
acceptance of compensation shall be deemed to amount to 

                                                           
9. Substituted by G.O.Ms.No.236, Revenue (Excise II) Department, 
dated 15.12.2015. 

Compounding of 
offences. 



6  [Act No.30 of 1978] 

an acquittal and in no case any further proceedings be 
taken against such person or article or thing with reference 
to the same act. 
 
7. Notwithstanding anything in the Code of Criminal 
Procedure, 1973, all offences under this Act shall be 
cognizable. 
 
8. Whoever abets any offence punishable under this Act 
or attempts to commit any such offence, shall be punished 
with the punishment provided in this Act for such offence. 
 
9. No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall be 
instituted against any person exercising powers under this 
Act, for anything which is in good faith done or intended to 
be done under this Act or the rules made thereunder. 
 
10. (1) If the person committing an offence under this Act is 
a company, the company as well as every person in charge 
of, and responsible to, the company for the conduct of its 
business at the time of the commission of the offence, shall 
be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to 
be proceeded against and punished accordingly: 
 
 Provided that nothing in this sub-section shall render 
any such person liable to any punishment, if he proves that 
the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he 
exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of 
such offence. 
 
 (2) Notwithstanding anything in sub-section (1), where 
an offence under this Act has been committed by a 
company and it is proved that the offence has been 
committed with the consent or connivance of, or that the 
commission of the offence is attributable to any neglect on 
the part of any director, manager, secretary, or other officer 
of the company, such director, manager, secretary or other 

Offences under 
Act to be 
cognizable. 

Central Act 2 of 1974. 

 
Abetments and 
attempts. 

Protection of 
persons acting in 
good faith.  

Offences by 
Companies. 



[Act No.30 of 1978]  7 

officer shall also be deemed to be guilty of that offence and 
shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished 
accordingly. 
 
 Explanation.- For the purposes of this section,- 
 
 (a) “company” means any body corporate and 
includes a firm or other association of individuals, and  
 
 (b) “director” in relation to firm, means a partner in the 
firm. 
 
11. (1) The Government may, by notification, make rules 
for carrying out all or any of the purposes of this Act. 
 
 (2) Every rule made under this section shall, 
immediately after it is made, be laid before each House of 
the State Legislature if it is in session and if it is not in 
session, in the session immediately following, for a total 
period of fourteen days which may be comprised in one 
session, or in two successive sessions and if, before the 
expiration of the session in which it is so laid or the session 
immediately following, both Houses agree in making any 
modification in the rule or in the annulment of the rule, the 
rule shall, from the date on which the modification or 
annulment is notified, have effect only in such modified form 
or shall stand annulled as the case may be; so however that 
any such modification or annulment shall be without 
prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under 
that rule. 
 
 (3) Any such rule may provide that any breach or 
contravention thereof shall be punished with fine which may 
extend to fifty rupees. 
 
 
 

Power to make 
rules. 



8  [Act No.30 of 1978] 

12. With effect on and from the commencement of this Act, 
the provisions of section 6 of the Andhra Pradesh (Andhra 
Area) Prohibition Act, 1937, shall cease to apply in so far as 
they relate to advertisements pertaining to intoxicating 
liquors. 
 

* * * 

Cessor of section 
6 of Act X of 1937. 


	‎E:\Uploading PDF Documents\uploading word 1971 to 1980\1978 - 1\Final - 30 of 1978 THE TELANGANA INTOXICATING LIQUORS (PROHIBITION OF ADVERTISEMENTS) ACT,1978\Index.docx‎
	‎E:\Uploading PDF Documents\uploading word 1971 to 1980\1978 - 1\Final - 30 of 1978 THE TELANGANA INTOXICATING LIQUORS (PROHIBITION OF ADVERTISEMENTS) ACT,1978\Act 30 of 1978.docx‎