Telangana govt encashing on growing trend of alcoholic beverages consumption among people
With more women entering the workforce and gaining financial independence, there has been a shift in cultural attitudes towards alcohol consumption, leading to increased consumption among women as well.
Hyderabad: With a growing young population and increasing urbanization, there is a rising demand for alcoholic beverages, particularly among the younger demographic who view alcohol consumption as a part of socializing and entertainment. This trend is particularly very visible in Hyderabad.
With more women entering the work force and gaining financial independence, there has been a shift in cultural attitudes towards alcohol consumption, leading to increased consumption among women as well. This demographic shift is driving the growth of the alcohol industry in Telangana, with a greater acceptance of alcohol as a social norm. It is estimated that about 43 percent of male and 11 percent of females in Telangana consume alcoholic beverages.
The cash-strapped Telangana government is now trying to use the rising demand for alcohol among the young population in the State to increase its revenue. According to the study by the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), an autonomous research institute under the union Finance Ministry, the two Telugu-speaking States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana show the highest average annual per capita consumption expenditure on alcohol across the country.
The average per capita consumption expenditure on alcoholic beverages in Telangana is Rs. 1,623, highest in the country, followed by Andhra Pradesh with Rs. 1,306 and Punjab Rs. 1,245.
Liquor contributes a considerable amount to the exchequer of all States and Telangana is no exception. In 2022-23, the State government had earned Rs 34,145 crore revenue through liquor sale and it increased to Rs. 37,000 crore in the financial year 2023-24. This year the government is expecting the revenue to touch a whopping Rs. 45,000 crore.
In fact, during this New Year season, the government is expecting the liquor sales to touch a record high of Rs. 1,000 crore over the coming five days. The top officials of the excise department have reportedly asked their men to ensure that during the period starting on Sunday, the sale of liquor should cross Rs. 1,000 crore across the State.
The State government has already announced that wine shops across the state will remain open until midnight on December 31, in light of the New Year celebrations. The State’s Excise Department has issued official orders allowing liquor outlets to operate until midnight providing an opportunity for citizens to celebrate the arrival of the new year.
Additionally, bars, pubs, and restaurants will be permitted to continue alcohol sales until 1 am. Liquor has already been moved to the respective clubs and pubs. It is expected that the sale of alcohol will be huge as the government has given permission to organize events till 1 am.
Sources say the higher officials of the excise department have given oral instructions to the lower level staff to see that they achieve the target given to them. During the Dasara festival this year, liquor worth Rs.1300 crore were sold in just 11 days.
In just six days, more than Rs.1,000 crore of liquor was sold during the new year last year. On December 28, 29, 30 and 31, more than Rs.771 crore of liquor were sold last year. In fact, on December 30, sales touched a whooping Rs 313 crore.
In the last three days of last year, 6.51 lakh cases of beer and 4.80 lakh cases of liquor were sold from 19 liquor depots across the State. In the last four days of December 2021, Rs. 600 crore worth of liquor was sold. Similarly, in 2022, the sale of liquor reached Rs. 775 crore.
Sources say belt shops are going to play a key role in achieving the target of Rs. 1,000 crore. There are at least 4-10 belt shops in each village across the State and it is learned that the top officials have reportedly asked field level officials to allow them to function freely during the next five days, so that maximum liquor could be sold. There are 2,620 A4 liquor shops, 1,200 bars and clubs in the State.
