TS rakes in Rs 2,629 cr from record liquor applications

Warangal: As of Saturday 6 pm, the excise department received 1,31,493 applications, an all-time high, raking in Rs 2,629 crore in non-refundable application fees for 2,620 shops that will be allotted through a lottery.

While Friday was the last day for filing applications, the process went on till Saturday in all districts. The draw of lots will be held by district collectors concerned on August 21 to allocate the 2,620 liquor shops.

The allotment of liquor shops will be done for a two-year period, from December 1, 2023, to November 2025.

According to the data shared by the excise department, in 2021-23, the government received 68,691 applications, earning it a non-refundable application fee income of Rs 1,373 crore.

This time, the applications and revenue for the government have almost doubled, indicating increased competition among applicants for setting up liquor shops in the election year, anticipating huge profits, given that the 2023 Assembly elections will be followed by the Lok Sabha polls in 2024 and local bodies’ polls in 2025.

According to the excise data, the most sought-after location was Saroornagar, for which there were 10,908 applications for 134 liquor shops. This was followed by Shamshabad, with 10,811 applications for 100 shops, Khammam, with 7,207 applications for 122 shops, Nalgonda, with 7,058 applications for 155 shops, Medchal, with 7,017 applications for 114 shops, Malkajgiri, with 6,722 applications for 88 shops, Sangareddy, with 6,156 applications for 101 shops, Warangal Urban, with 5,858 applications for 65 shops, Suryapet, with 4,338 applications for 99 shops, Siddipet, with 4,166 applications for 93 shops, and Karimnagar, with 4,040 applications for 94 shops.

For Hyderabad, there were 3,628 applications for 80 shops, while for Secunderabad, there were 3,510 applications for 99 shops.