Warangal: Long wait of boozers ends

Warangal: Finally, the long-awaited day has come for the boozers on Wednesday with the State government lifting curbs on the liquor business after a gap of six-and-a-half week.

Not so surprisingly, the tipplers converged at the retail outlets two to three hours before 10 am and waited for the staff. Barring the stores located in the containment areas, all the liquor shops across the erstwhile Warangal district were abuzz with the boozers.

Braving hot sun, they waited in the queues to fetch the liquor. It appeared like that government's decision to hike the prices has no impact with the way tipplers turned to wine shops. An over enthusiast customer was seen offering a coconut at a liquor shop in Hanamkonda.

According to Excise Superintendent of Warangal Rural district P Srinivas, there are 258 retail liquor outlets in the erstwhile Warangal district.

The breakup: 59 in Warangal Urban, 56 in Warangal Rural, 52 in Mahabubabad district, 43 in Jangaon district and 48 in combined Jayashankar-Bhupalpally and Mulugu districts.Before he lockdown, these liquor outlets used to make a business of around Rs 150 crore per day.

With the people making a beeline in large numbers to fetch the liquor, the sale is likely to cross Rs 170 crore, according to sources.

Earlier, the Excise Department in coordination with the police took all possible measures to prevent jostling at the liquor shops. People were seen wearing masks and maintaining physical distance in the queues. So was the staff of liquor outlets.

The Excise officials also ensured a maximum number of customers get liquor by curbing bulk sale by the outlets.