Record level liquor sales in erstwhile Khammam district

Khammam: Liquor sales have increased at a record level during this Dasara festival compare to last year's festival time in the erstwhile Khammam district.

Lockdown following coronavirus did not impact the liquor sales. Interestingly beer sales reduced but at the same time whisky sales increased to 21.9 per cent this October.

Thanks to Dasara festival that brought smiles among the excise officials and wine shop owners. Due to coronavirus induced lockdown, wine shops were closed for a few months and wine shop owners incurred huge loss across the State.

According to excise officials, this October the government earned Rs 174 crore income through liquor and beer sales and last year it was Rs 95.30 crore. The income was double when compared to last October.

Kothagudem district Excise Superintendent D Narasimha Reddy said that usually liquor sales will be high during Dasara festival every year but this year record level sales took place. Though people have lost jobs and financially struggling, but these factors didn't show any impact on liquor sales and it seems that people had celebrated the festival in big way.

It was noticed that whisky sales have increased in the villages on Andhra Pradesh-Telangana State border compared to the liquor shops in Telangana. According to sources, during Dasara festival, Telangana liquor was shifted to Andhra Pradesh through different ways, which was also one of reasons for increasing liquor sales in the erstwhile Khammam district.