Crack open a cold one: Beer’s now cheaper by Rs 10 in Telangana

HYDERABAD:  The Telangana government on Monday slashed the prices on all beer brands by Rs 10, due to a drop in sales, which was a result of the hike in prices by Rs 30 in May 2020. The prices, however, still remain high when compared to what they were in the pre-Covid-19 times.

On Monday, the Prohibition and Excise Department reduced special excise cess on beer and issued a GO stating that beer price will be reduced by Rs 10 per bottle. This order has come into effect from Monday. The Director of Telangana State Beverages Corporation Limited will take further action in the matter accordingly. 

Telangana is primarily a beer market, and accordingly, the government had increased the prices by Rs 30 on all brands after wine shops reopened during the first unlock in May 2020. Once higher prices started affecting the sales, beer suppliers in the State started appealing to the government from January this year to reduce the Maximum Retail Price (MRP).

Speaking to Express, M Kameshwara Rao from Association of Liquor and Beer Suppliers of Telangana (ALBST) said that usually, the State witnesses an average monthly sale of 32 lakh beer cases, but in June, it sold only 26.80 lakh cases. According to him, during peak summer, beer sales usually go up to 40 to 45 lakh cases. However, in May, it was only 20.19 lakh cases. Following this, some breweries in Sangareddy had even stopped the production of beers, Kameshwara Rao added. Nearly 13 lakh beer cases are in depots and once these stocks are sold, beer bottles will be supplied with the new MRP.