Mancherial: Liquor shop applications shoot up on last date

Until Thursday, Mancherial, known for registering the highest sales of liquor in erstwhile Adilabad district saw barely 971 applications. The number of applications, however, swelled to 2,242 on Friday, surprising the officials who were expecting around 1,800 applications.

Mancherial: The number of applications for licenses for 73 liquor outlets across the district shot up with Friday being the last date. The unexpected spurt in the applications has cheered the Prohibition and Excise officials.

Until Thursday, Mancherial, known for registering the highest sales of liquor in erstwhile Adilabad district saw barely 971 applications. The number of applications, however, swelled to 2,242 on Friday, surprising the officials who were expecting around 1,800 applications. The district recorded 1,194 applications in 2021 and 1,190 in 2019.

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“We were expecting that the district would see a 40 percent growth on the total of applications received in 2021. To our surprise, the quantum of applications has gone up by 87 percent.

Traders adopt a wait-and-see approach. They filed applications after waiting till the last date,” Mancherial Prohibition and Excise Superintendent K Nandagopal told ‘Telangana Today.’

Apart from the last day strategy, the traders apparently waited for the auspicious Friday of the sacred Shravana month of Hindu calendar year. “The first Friday of the month is auspicious to commence a venture. One can easily excel in an endeavor if they start on this day. I dropped applications after performing certain rituals and praying to goddess Laxmi Devi,” a trader from the town said, seeking anonymity.

398 female applicants

Some of the applicants relied upon numerology and astrology. They submitted applications in the names of the wife, family members and friends as per advice of numerologists and astrologers. interestingly, 398 applicants were females among 2,242 applicants. Some others visited temples, spiritual leaders and self-styled god men before filing the applications and sought their blessings to improve their prospects in the draw of lots through which license holders are going to be selected on August 21.

Meanwhile, Nirmal district saw 974 applications for 47 outlets when compared to 552, posting a rise by 76 percent. Adilabad district had 966 applications for 40 shops as against 617 dropped in 2021, reflecting a growth of 56 percent. Kumram Bheem Asifabad witnessed 960 applications for 32 outlets as against 643 in 2021, showing an increase by 49 percent.