Liquor sales shot up by Rs 30 crore annually in Telangana’s Mancherial

Officials said alcohol worth Rs 708 crore was sold in the district for 2024-25 financial year as against Rs 703 crore in the previous fiscal year

Mancherial: Data of sales of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) show that sales of liquor has shot up in the district by an average of around Rs 30 crore per annum in the last four years.

Officials said alcohol worth Rs 708 crore was sold in the district for 2024-25 financial year as against Rs 703 crore in the previous fiscal year. Compared to the sales of liquor worth Rs 588 crore in 2020-21, this year’s growth showed a rise by 20 per cent in the last five years in this fiscal.

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Sales of beer on the rise

The district recorded a substantial rise in consumption of beer in the last four years. For instance, it saw sales of 11,22,953 cases of beers in 2024-25 FY as against 6,80,845 cases sold in 2020-21, reflecting an increase by 65 per cent. However, the district registered a slight dip in sales of beer this financial year when compared to the previous year. It witnessed sales of 11.22 lakh cases of beer in this financial year as against 11.64 lakh cases sold in 2023-24.

Sales of IMFL stable

The district witnessed sales of 6.95 lakh cases of IMFL in 2024-25 when compared to 6.88 lakh cases in the corresponding period last year. It recorded a slight rise in sales as against 2020-2021, when 6.88 lakh cases of IMFL were sold.

Belt shops spur sales of liquor

Sources said belt shops or unauthorised outlets of liquor had mushroomed in rural parts of the district, improving the sales of alcohol. Every village has at least five belt shops. The operators charge at least Rs 20 extra per bottle containing 180 ml and a beer. Huge scope for profits is spurring many to venture into illegal trading of liquor.

“Since such shops are indirectly helping the government in filling its coffers, officials do not take action against the operators except for during elections. The belt shops remain closed only when the model code of conduct is in force at the time of elections to Assembly, Parliament and local bodies,” a source said.

 

Substantial rise:

2024-25 FY

IMFL cases: 6,95,125

Beer cases: 11,22,953

Sales worth: Rs 707.59 cr

 

2023-24 FY

IMFL cases: 6,88,793

Beer cases: 11,64,327

Sales worth: Rs 703.04 cr

 

2022-23 FY

IMFL cases: 6,69,510

Beer cases: 10,38,750

Sales worth: Rs 676.68 cr

 

2021-22 FY

IMFL cases: 7,60,598

Beer cases: 8,15,034

Sales worth: Rs 636.99 cr

 

2020-21 FY

IMFL cases: 7,16,855

Beer cases: 6,80,485

Sales worth: Rs 588.07 cr

 

Liquor outlets

Mancherial: 73

Bars: 16