Bifurcation Blues hit liquor sales in TS!

The state bifurcation has resulted in a doom for the retail traders of liquor in Telangana after the sale of Indian made Foreign Liquor has plummeted in all the districts of Telangana. Traders say the liquor sales have gone down by at least 25% after the appointed day for various reasons like reduction in floating population visiting Hyderabad from Seemandhra, slowdown in the real estate market, the current crisis in the farm sector and introduction of toddy shops.

The sales in some districts of the districts including Hyderabad are so low that they can not compensate for the huge licence fee and maintenance expenses. However the excise officials of Telangana state attempt to underplay the issue and at the same time agree that the revenue is hit but only by 10%.

Officials also do not agree that the Liquor sales have fallen down due to the reintroduction of Toddy in GHMC limits. Officials say most Toddy drinkers have changed their drinking habit during the ban of 10 years in the state and the uptake of Toddy is very slow after the reintroduction to affect the liquor sales.