Youth scramble to enter liquor biz
Considering it a lucrative profession, educated youth with good financial background, mostly in the age group of 25-35, have opted to turn into entrepreneurs in liquor trade.
Hyderabad: Considering it a lucrative profession, educated youth with good financial background, mostly in the age group of 25-35, have opted to turn into entrepreneurs in liquor trade.
According to a scrutiny done by the Excise and Prohibition Department, nearly 30 to 35 per cent of applications received for licenses for 2,216 liquor shops were found to be from the youngsters who want to turn into businessmen.
In all, 41,119 applications were received from enthusiastic liquor traders. Last year, the total number of applications received were only 30,000. State Excise and Prohibition Department officials told The Hans India that most of the young applicants were engineering graduates.
As they cannot get desired jobs, they take up liquor trade which not only gives good returns but also helps them sustain in the long run.
Preliminary scrutiny of the applications has revealed that the young brigade includes children of politicians and their close relatives.
Sources say that one of the reasons for the kin of politicians showing keen interest is because they feel that it would help them in 2019 elections in getting necessary supplies. Licences for liquor shops will be allotted through draw of lots on Friday.
Though the trend of youth applying for liquor shop licences began in 2015, this year the rush has been unprecedented. Officials said the highest number of applications were received from Khammam district.
A total of 4,029 applications were received for 83 shops. On an average, each shop got 49 applications. It is followed by Suryapet district which received 3,043 applications for 71 shops. Each shop received 43 applications.
Lowest number of applications were received in Secunderbad area where the 99 existing shops have got only 321 applications. In Hyderabad, the number of applications received for 84 shops was only 339. On an average, each shop got four applications only in the two urban areas.
Officials said that 25,750 applications were received on the last day of the submission of applications on Tuesday. District Collectors were entrusted to make elaborate arrangements draw of lots.
