Telangana saw a rush of liquor shop applications as the deadline arrived today. The Excise Department reported a surge with 25,000 applications submitted yesterday alone, taking the total to 50,000. Officials expect the total number to hit around 100,000.
A lottery to assign new shop licenses is set for October 23. Those chosen must pay their first installment between October 23 and 24. The license fee, divided into six installments, will apply to new licenses effective December 1. This date aligns with the end of the current licenses in November.
This year, the government increased the application form fee from Rs 200,000 to Rs 300,000, which is non-refundable. The new licenses will cover the period from December 1, 2025, to November 30, 2027.