Jatara: Telangana to pump in cheap liquor

Hyderabad: Anticipating huge demand for liquor during the Sammakka Saralamma jatara, the TS excise department has decided to pump in affordable liquor during the four-day festival.

Liquor flows like water at the biennial jatra which attracts lakhs of devotees from TS, AP, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Karnataka and other states.

To check illegal inflow of ‘gudumba’ and other illicit liquor the excise wing has decided to pump in huge quantities of government sealed cheap liquor from its corporation during the festival.

The government expects about one crore devotees to attend the jatara which will be held at Medaram in Warangal district from February 17 to 20.

“There is a huge demand for liquor during the jatra. Tribals consume a lot of country-made and other spurious liquor, which could be harmful. The excise department will provide temporary permits to tribals to sell affordable liquor during the festival,” prohibition and excise commissioner R.V. Chandravadan said.

“We expect sale of liquor worth Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 2 crore. Our aim is to check sale of smuggled liquor, gudumba or other illicit liquor,” he said.

The government sealed liquor will cost about '60 per bottle of 180 ml.
The TS excise department has also decided to open a toll-free number 1800-4252-523 for people to lodge complaints against bootleggers.