ADILABAD: A few individual groups have secured a large number of liquor shops in the recent lottery held for the 2025–27, sparking speculation that some of them may form syndicates to dominate the liquor business in their respective areas across Adilabad and Mancherial districts.
The outcome surprised many as several group members who won multiple shops shared celebratory photos on social media. Insiders said some of these groups, led by experienced liquor businessmen, had applied for outlets under different names and managed to secure up to three shops in Adilabad town. A few new entrants from rural areas also won single outlets.
It is learnt that one senior businessman in Adilabad is now offering “goodwill amounts” to new allottees to take over their shops and consolidate control of the trade within the town. Liquor shops in Adilabad and the border mandals adjoining Maharashtra are said to be in high demand due to the volume of sales.
A similar trend has been observed in Mancherial, Nirmal and Komaram Bheem Asifabad districts, particularly in areas bordering Maharashtra. Industry sources said shop owners often earn higher profits by illegally mixing branded liquor with low-quality or spurious liquor imported from across the border, where prices are comparatively cheaper.
Out of the total 40 liquor shops in Adilabad district, 34 were allotted through lottery, while six remained pending as fewer than ten applications were received for each. Collector Rajarshi Shah said fresh notification would soon be issued for re-tendering of the remaining shops.
Officials said that in most cases, groups of friends or like-minded individuals apply jointly to increase their chances and share the financial burden. Even if only one or two members of a group win the allotment, the shops are later operated collectively.
In Nirmal district, Gujjula Harika secured two liquor outlets in Ponakal and Laxmanchanda. In Mancherial, one group bagged four shops in different villages, celebrating their success with a feast even before launching their business. Another group of 29 friends from Jannaram and Luxettipet applied for liquor shops and won outlets in Luxettipet, Mutyampet, Myadaripet and Jannaram.