HYDERABAD: There won’t be any increase in the number of retail liquor outlets in the state. The GO, revealing Telangana’s excise policy for the next two years, allows 2,206 liquor outlets in the state. But the wine dealers decided not to open new outlets considering the 20 per cent hike in licence fee. The new policy will be in force for two years, from October 2015 to September 2017.
The government will collect the fixed licence fee based on population. The grant of licences will be by draw of lots.
Meanwhile, Telangana State Wine Dealers Association opposed the hike in licence fee. “How can we run the business with no increase in trade margin but increase in licence fee by 20 per cent?’’ asked Association president D Venkateshwar Rao. “With the increase, there is not much scope to get applicants for the 2,000-odd outlets,” he told Express.
The amount to be generated with the increase in licence fee can be ascertained only with the number of outlets that are grabbed by applicants, sources said.
As per latest policy, the Beverages Corporation/Agency outlets will be established in places where shops were un-disposed.