Telangana State sees sharp spike in liquor sales

Ranga Reddy: While every sector in India had been facing a revenue loss due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Telangana State recorded a new high in the liquor revenue as compared to the last year. August itself witnessed liquor sale worth Rs 2,006 crore despite the pandemic this year, whereas Rs 1,397 crore worth liquor was sold in August last year.

The Telangana government hiked the liquor prices twice in a year. The State topped the charts among all other States in the South when it came to the growth rate in liquor sales with 20.11 per cent. While Andhra Pradesh registered 19 per cent followed by Tamil Nadu with 17.7 per cent, Kerala at 15.15 per cent and Karnataka with 12.1 per cent growth during the same time frame.

As per the statistics available with the Excise Department, Telangana has a total of 2,211 wine shops across the State and had faced a loss of Rs 4,000 crore during the lockdown period from March 22 to May 5. However, after Unlock 1 phase, the State received an income of Rs 1,864 crore in May and Rs 1,955 crore in June in spite a 20 per cent hike in the liquor price.

Nalgonda district sold liquor worth Rs 205 crore followed by Khammam with Rs 157 crore, Ranga Reddy at Rs 136 crore, Warangal rural at Rs 129 crore, Ranga Reddy -2 with Rs 114 crore, Mahabunagar at Rs 103 crore and Medchal district witnessed a sale of Rs 110 crore worth liquor.

People of the State had earlier preferred consumption of beer compared to IML (Indian made foreign liquor) but after Unlock 1, the sales of beer had rapidly declined. A total of 29.7 lakh beer cases were sold in August last year whereas only 16.8 lakh beer cases were sold this year.

Telangana has a total of 19 liquor depots across the State from which liquor is distributed to all the wine shops in the State. The Nalgonda and Khammam districts located near Andhra border witnessed the highest liquor sales as liquor in Andhra had limited sale due to the pandemic. Wanaparthy district saw a 119 per cent rise in liquor sale while the Warangal urban saw 96 per cent growth in liquor sale compared to last year.