The Andhra Pradesh government has seen a huge influx of applications from liquor dealers for retail wine shop licenses, raking in ₹1,800 crore from non-refundable application fees.
NTR district topped the list with 5,787 applications for 113 shops, followed by West Godavari with 5,362 applications for 170 shops. Overall, the state received a staggering 89,643 applications for 3,396 liquor stores, which may rise above 90,000, potentially bringing in up to ₹1,900 crore in total.
The government recently announced a new liquor policy that shifts the retail liquor business from state control to private dealers, starting October 16. This policy will be in effect for two years, with the number of licensed shops set at 3,736, including 340 reserved for the toddy tapper community.
Applications were open from October 1 to 11, and the verification process will take place on October 12 and 13, with a lottery to select the license holders on October 15.
