The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Bids for liquor shops net 203 cr.

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Wednesday, Jun 18, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Bids for liquor shops net 203 cr.

Staff Reporter

GUNTUR: Call it a pre-election hype or the ever-rising demand from tipplers; liquor traders have made record bids for bagging licences for shops in the district. At the end of a day-long allotment of licences for liquor shops on Monday, the Prohibition and Excise Department officials are pleasantly surprised to find that the upset price fixed for the year shot up by almost 100 per cent, raking in Rs. 203.56 crore.

The department fixed an upset price of Rs.105 crore, an increase of 15 per cent from the Rs.90 crore in 2007, but the auctions fetched Rs. 203.56 crore.

Apart from the hype over the demands of an election year, the soaring bids were attributed to entry of new comers with substantial money power and political influence. Realtors and other industrialists made a beeline to the stadium to try out their luck. For instance, the highest price for bagging liquor licence in Narsaraopet was quoted by a businessman backed by the TDP.

Highest revenue

Of the three divisions, Narasaraopet fetched the highest revenue of Rs.91 crore, followed by Guntur Rs.58.07 crore and Tenali at Rs.54.06 crore. The highest bid was raised on a shop at Narasaraopet which fetched a whopping Rs.1.72 crore, followed by another outlet opposite the Bus Station Complex at Guntur which went for Rs.1.54 crore. With the town surrounded by several villages dotted with thriving belt shops, the demand for brew is set to reach an all time high.

This is all-time record revenue for the department which was under some sort of pressure to contribute substantial amount of money to the State exchequer to meet rising bills of various welfare schemes of the Government.

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