Life in TS may pinch pockets

They were last hiked in March 2022 and officials have now proposed to increase them again. This time, the prices are expected to surge 20-25% on different brands, while the cost of beers is likely to be hiked by Rs 10-Rs 15.

Hyderabad: Life in Telangana appears all set to turn costly on multiple counts, ranging from an increase in expenses for registering property and building regularisation to having to pay higher property tax and buying liquor. This is with the Congress government planning multiple measures to increase its revenues to fund the party’s poll promises, especially the six guarantees.

The first of these hikes — after proposing to increase the market value of land and collect new property registration charges from August 1 — will be of liquor prices, for which proposals have already been submitted to the government. Officials are not ruling out a hike in property taxes as well soon. Liquor prices are usually increased for once every two years.

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They were last hiked in March 2022 and officials have now proposed to increase them again. This time, the prices are expected to surge 20-25% on different brands, while the cost of beers is likely to be hiked by Rs 10-Rs 15.

This hike is expected to fetch an additional Rs 4,500 crore to Rs 5,000 crore for the State exchequer, increasing the excise revenue from Rs 35,000 crore to Rs 40,000 crore, officials said. Besides plugging revenue leakages to improve its revenues, the State government is also mulling auctioning prime land and other assets, which could earn good revenue. Official sources said apart from clearing pending Land Regularisation Scheme applications, the government might consider implementing a Building Regularisation Scheme to generate more revenue.

The government is also considering the sale of unsold and unused properties and plots of various departments, including the State Housing Board. The government had earmarked Rs 53,196 crore for the implementation of these six guarantees alone, from the overall budget of Rs 2,75,891 crore for 2024-25.

However, it is facing serious challenges to mobilise such a huge amount, besides catering to regular expenditures, such as salaries and implementing various development and welfare programmes.

Accordingly, the government recently issued guidelines to increase the market value of land and revise property registration charges from August 1. On similar lines, officials have submitted proposals to hike liquor prices too.