90,000 Applications For 2,620 TG Liquor Shops

The prohibition and excise department received an overwhelming response for A4 liquor shop licences. Nearly 50,000 were filed on Friday alone for 2,620 shops across the state, while officials expected another 40,000 by late Saturday night.

At the department’s state office in Nampally, long queues of applicants were seen carrying demand drafts worth ₹3 lakh each along with completed forms. The fee, which is non-refundable, must accompany every application. Excise officials said applications continued to arrive until 9.50 pm, though entry was restricted to those who reached before 5 pm.

Interestingly, businessmen from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Karnataka also submitted applications seeking licences in Telangana.

Several women entrepreneurs, particularly from the twin cities, joined the rush. Among them was Parvathi from Odisha, who along with her mother and sister applied for more than 30 shops. “We already operate liquor outlets in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh and earlier won two shops in Telangana through the lottery system. We hope to expand this year,” she said.

Officials attributed the cross-border interest to the state’s profitable liquor trade and transparent lottery process. To handle the heavy turnout on the final day, the department deployed additional staff and opened special counters to process the flood of applications.

Although the overall number of applications is lower than the previous licensing round, the excise department expects higher revenue this year, as officials noted an increase in last-minute submissions and stronger competition for key urban locations.