VIJAYAWADA: In all 57,325 applications for liquor shop licences have been received by the Prohibition and Excise Department netting Rs 1,146.6 crore towards non-refundable fee, even as the State government has extended the last date by two more days to October 11.
The applications were originally scheduled to be received from October 1 to 9 but the date was extended following numerous requests from the applicants.
An order was issued by the Excise Department Director Nishant Kumar extending both the last date of applications as well as extending the existing policy till October 15.
“Applications are allowed till October 11 up to 7 pm, and verification process will be conducted on October 12 and 13,” the order read.
Excise officials anticipate that applications for liquor shops will flood following the deadline extension. “We are expecting more than 5,000 applications in the next two days, which will generate Rs 100 crore revenue,” said an excise official.
According to official data, the notification regarding the issuance of licences for 3,396 liquor shops in the State attracted a staggering 57,325 applications so far and of the total shops, 10% were allotted to the toddy tappers community.
Soon after the change of guard in the State with the TDP-led government forming the government, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced that a new excise policy will be brought in instead of the government running liquor shops. Following the instructions of Naidu, Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra directed officials to formulate the policy by including some best practices being implemented in other States.
According to data obtained from the Excise Department, NTR district topped the list by receiving 4,399 applications for 113 shops, followed by Eluru with 3,820 for 144 shops, Vizianagaram with 3,677 for 153 shops, and West Godavari with 3,490 for 170 shops. “A shop allocated to NTR 96 sector has received the highest number of 110 applications,” according to the official portal.
Alluri Sitarama Raju district has received the least number of applications with 803 for 40 shops, and Sri Sathya Sai with 891 applications for 87 shops. On the other hand, there were no takers for one shop in Sri Sathya Sai, single application was received for 24 shops, and two applications for 73 shops.