Hyderabad: Fat mamools turn headache for liquor shops

Forced to pay over Rs 5 lakh annually to prohibition and excise officials, say owners

Hyderabad: Liquor shop owners are a worried lot these days. Managing a liquor outlet, they lament, is becoming unwieldy what with the prohibition and excise officials and staff breathing down their necks for more and more mamools!

The State government had recently allotted A4 licences to 2,620 shops for a period of two years from December 1. The new licences were given on the basis of a lucky draw. “After the licences were allotted, the Prohibition and Excise Department officials are demanding annual payment between Rs 2.50 lakh to Rs 5 lakh from each shop,” complained an owner of a liquor shop.

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This apart, the Station House Officers are demanding a monthly mamool between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000 from the liquor shops. “The monthly mamool is different from the annual mamool and free liquor we supply to them. Already, we are paying hefty amounts for obtaining licences and again paying fat mamools is becoming a problem,” lamented another shop owner.

The Telangana State Beverages Corporation Limited depots are no exemption. For every consignment lifted from the depots, the staff there demands between Rs 200 and Rs 500, allege an owner of a popular wine outlet in the city. “The people at a few depots are asking us to pay monthly amounts to them,” said a shopkeeper.

The liquor shop owners point out the State Task Force teams was no exception. “The Task Force personnel are demanding a quarterly mamool of Rs 30,000. Previously, it was limited to Rs 5,000 or Rs 10,000. The sudden increase in mamool rates is pinching us,” said a shop owner.