Guzzlers have gala time

Around Rs.75 crore worth liquor is expected to be consumed both in AP, TS during Dasara

Hyderabad: With festivals around, it seems guzzlers have a gala time both in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. If the official estimates are anything to go by, by the weekend, boozers will consume liquor worth a whooping Rs 75 crore.

Reckless consumption of alcohol has already begun from Thursday. Though the day happened to be Gandhi Jayanthi, a dry day, liquor was found in every street corner of both the States as tipplers stored enough liquor on Wednesday night itself. All liquor shops in both the States made brisk business till late hours on the eve of Gandhi Jayanthi. Telangana and AP have a total of 6,596 liquor shops with a majority of 4,000 located in Andhra Pradesh.

The shops in urban centres sell an average of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.25 lakh each per day while the smaller towns and rural areas account for less than Rs 50,000 per day. Beginning from Dasara (Friday), the sales will soar up the following two days.

“The sale will be 25 percent more than regular days. Most of the employees who had collected Dasara mamools will shell out all the money for liquor,” said R Subba Rao, president of Andhra Pradesh Wine Dealers’ Association. He said these tipplers even had scant respect for Gandhi. They were seen knocking the rear doors of liquor shops in many areas.

Rao said Hyderabad city would have a huge turnover of sale of beer due to hot and humid weather while the rest of the cities and towns in both the States would consume stronger breweries.

The turnover of IML (Indian Made Foreign Liquor) in undivided Andhra Pradesh was around Rs. 40,000 crore, though anti-liquor crusaders say the figure could be around Rs. 60,000 crore. But both the governments earn only Rs. 20,000 crore by way of excise, VAT, privilege fee and license fee. This indicates that black money of Rs. 40,000 crore is generated annually and the booty is shared by liquor traders, politicians and excise and police officials.