Telangana plans to hike Liquor Prices

Hyderabad, Sept 19: The Telangana State government is planning to hike the liquor Prices. It is actively examining a proposal for upward revision of liquor prices during the current year.

The proposal to hike prices comes from the mounting pressure from the manufacturers who complained of increasing manufacturing costs and there was no revision of prices for more than two years. The Excise department has accordingly prepared proposals for revision of the prices and sent them for the approval of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

Sources said the department had taken steps to ensure that there was no change in prices of lower variants consumed by the common customers. Price for the medium variety brands is proposed to be hiked by five to 10 percent and the hike for premium varieties is expected to be around 10 percent.



However, The price rise will be dependent on the Chief Minister's decision as the department is skeptical on the quantum of the hike that would be approved by him. "A proposal to hike the prices had been sent to the Chief Minister last year, but he did not approve it," a senior official said.

The department, according to sources, seeks to generate around Rs. 1,500 crores additional revenue, if it is permitted to hike the price and coupled with this, is the annual growth in sales pegged at 10 percent taking the total additional revenue to around Rs.2,500 crores.

"While there is no hike proposed for the lower variants, the hike would be marginal for consumers of medium brands," a senior official said.