Hyderabad: Liquor stores across the state recorded record sales on Tuesday as liquor, including beer, valued at more than $ 125.41 million, was sold within four hours after Wednesday’s close was announced.
Since Tuesday morning, sales have been in the normal volume, but after the closing decision was announced in the afternoon, customers rushed to liquor stores to stock up. As the day progressed, large slingshots were seen at the stores.
Managing the crowd became difficult for the shopkeepers in many places at night as customers wrestled with each other to buy the stock. The unfortunate shopkeepers then called in police patrol teams to manage the oncoming crowd.
It was the rush to a few stores in twin cities that a shopkeeper literally urged customers to maintain the right rope at physical distance with a handheld address system from within the store. Customers, however, did not allow and continued to buy the stock.
By 8 p.m., when the night clock began Tuesday, stores were selling 90 percent of the liquor and beer stock, leaving only premium brands behind. According to officials of Telangana State Beverages Corporation Limited (TSBCL), the wine shops registered a sale of liquor and beer worth 125.41 million on Tuesday.
Khammam and Nalgonda, which share a border with neighboring Andhra Pradesh, recorded big sales. Beverages and beer worth 12.78 million and 12.56 million were sold on Tuesday in Khammam and Nalgonda respectively.
Beverages and beer worth 9.33 million were sold in Hyderabad. Officials said Khammam and Nalgonda districts registered more sales, likely due to large purchases from popular liquor brands such as Royal Stag, McDowell’s and Blender’s Pride.
A few customers could have made bulk purchases to sell it in black to persons who were known to them during lockdown and to collect the money on demand. Officials said wine shop owners are buying different brands of liquor and beer at the 19 depots of TSBCL in the state after making online payments.
Source: Telangana Today