HYDERABAD: A record number of more than 41,000 applications were received by the Excise department on Tuesday evening for the retail liquor shops. September 19 was the last date for submitting applications is over. Even as the application fee is increased this year from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh, there is a heavy demand for liquor shops. Except for one shop in Ghatkesar in Hyderabad, all the shops received applications.The Excise department invited applications for 2,216 liquor shops in the state and the response is tremendous this year. When the Excise department auctioned shops two years back, the application fee, which is not non-refundable, was just Rs 50,000 per application. Last time, the Excise department realised Rs 155 crore through application fee. This time, they expected Rs 250 crore, but got Rs 410 crore.
Normally, new Excise policies lands into controversy and the Opposition makes it a big issue. But, there is no negative campaign against the new Excise policy. “We have planned the new Excise Policy in a careful manner and executed our plans in a systematic way,” principal secretary Excise Somesh Kumar told Express on Wednesday. Somesh Kumar said that once the draw of lots was over on September 22 by district collectors for new shops, then the auction for the lone liquor shop in Ghatkesar in Hyderabad would too be auctioned.
All the 2,216 shops would start functioning from October 1. Last time, around 72 shops were not auctioned in the city. But this time, the response was good from the liquor traders. On an average, 3.6 applications were received for each shop in Hyderabad. The response in some of the districts is huge. For example, Khammam district received 50 applications on an average for each shop and 43 applications for Suryapet. The state’s Excise revenue is expected to touch to Rs 18,000 crore per year with the new Excise policy from October 1.
TS govt in high spirits
Excise policy received good response
A record number of 41,119 applications are received for 2,215 shops
Lone shop leftover in auction is in Ghatkesar
Officials aver the lone shop too will be auctioned before September 30