Hyderabad: As the last date to submit applications for new liquor shop licences approaches on Thursday, the State Excise and Prohibition department is actively approaching prospective liquor traders and businessmen to purchase applications, targeting the sale of at least one lakh applications before the deadline ends. Till date, 89,000 applications have been sold. Rangareddy district registered the highest number of applications sold at 27,887, while Adilabad district reported the lowest number at 3,894.

District Excise Superintendents have been instructed to hold meetings with businessmen and invite them to buy applications to help achieve the target. The government is aiming to earn Rs 3,000 crore through the sale of applications for the 2,620 licensed wine shops across the state.

Excise officials stated that the government is making all-out efforts to increase revenues from the application sales. In 2023, the excise department sold nearly 98,000 applications, and the government is now expecting the number to touch one lakh.