Mad rush for wine shop applications on last day

In a record, the state government has earned `750 crore as fee from the sale of application forms for liquor shop licences. The money is non-refundable, meaning applicants do not get the money back if they are not allotted a liquor shop.

Two years ago, the figure stood at `412 crore.

There was a rush at excise counters across the state on Wednesday, the last day, for submitting the application forms.

Though the deadline ended at 4 pm, officials were accepting application forms till late in the night as the applicants were still waiting in long queues.

The state has 2,216 wine shops. Till Monday, the government had received

10,842 applications. Another 9,788 were received on Tuesday. Warangal, Khammam, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy excise divisions received a large number of applications.

On Wednesday, it is estimated that more than

20,000 applications were received. Liquor merchants from AP, where the government is taking over the business, also applied for wine shops in Telangana state. Some applied directly and others through their relatives and friends settled in the state

Revenue special chief secretary Somesh Kumar said the earnings from application fees would top

`800 crore when the final figures are in. He said the liquor shops will be allotted on October 18 across the state. The state government announced its new liquor policy for two years commencing from November 1 2019 to October 30, 2021. The new licencees will have to commence their business with effect from November 1.