The Telangana government has earned Rs 2,860 crore from liquor application forms for the new excise policy period. According to the Excise Department, even though the number of applications was lower than last year, the department still earned Rs 200 crore more by increasing the application fee.
The application process began on September 26 and concluded on October 23. Officials described the response as satisfactory and close to the set target. A total of 95,436 applications were received for 2,620 liquor shops, with each applicant paying a non-refundable fee of Rs 3 lakh. Last year, the fee stood at Rs 2 lakh.
The Telangana government had set a target of Rs 3,000 crore, which it almost achieved. Although the process started slowly, the final days saw a significant surge in applications as traders rushed to submit their forms before the deadline.
Among all excise divisions, Rangareddy recorded the highest number of applications at 29,430, while Adilabad reported the lowest with 4,013.
The Excise Department will conduct the liquor shop lottery draw on October 27. The new shops are expected to begin operations from December 1, marking the start of Telangana’s new excise policy term.
