New liquor shop license holders are unhappy

These new owners, who got licenses to run retail liquor outlets for the next two years (2023-25), will get a chance to open their shops only after the completion of polling.

Karimnagar: Except for a few, most traders benefit, either directly or indirectly, from elections. And liquor trade is one business that usually benefits a lot in the run-up to the elections and after that too, with many winners celebrating the victory with booze, while those who lose down their sorrows with liquor. However, new liquor shop owners in the district are unhappy with the November 30 elections to the State Assembly.

These new owners, who got licenses to run retail liquor outlets for the next two years (2023-25), will get a chance to open their shops only after the completion of polling. So, they are a worried lot about losing huge business that would otherwise happen before and during the elections. Compared to previous years, the Excise department had received a huge number of applications for wine shop licenses this time around.

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A total of 1.25 lakh applications were received for 2,620 retail liquor outlets across the State as against 69,000 applications received in 2021. In Karimnagar, 4,040 applications were filed for 94 wine shops. Many traders were under the impression that the Assembly elections would be held either in December or January. The licenses of the existing shops will expire on November 30, which meant they could open their shops in early December and make some money during the elections.

However, the Election Commission’s announcement of the poll schedule, with the voting slated to be held on November 30, shattered their hopes. A wine shop owner said he along with four others had filed applications for five shops by borrowing money from private moneylenders to cover their losses by doing business during the time of elections.

Though they got license for one shop, the polling date was before the new shops to be opened on December 1, he said, thus putting them in a serious financial crisis. Their hopes now rest on the Parliament, municipal, gram panchayat, MPTC and ZPTC elections scheduled for next year, he added.