Hyderabad: A petition has been filed in the Telangana High Court challenging the state government’s recently announced liquor policy. The petition, submitted by Anil Kumar, raises constitutional concerns over certain provisions, particularly regarding the increased application fee and the reservation norms for liquor shop licenses. The petitioner has objected to the hike in application fees from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 3 lakh per application.
Anil Kumar has requested that the Excise Department be directed to refund the Rs. 3 lakh fee to applicants who do not secure a license through the lottery system. He has also urged the court to quash the government order issued under the new liquor policy. The reservation provisions for Gowda, SC, and ST categories remain unaffected, and no objections have been raised regarding these allocations.
The High Court has issued notices to the Excise Department Commissioner and adjourned the hearing for two weeks to examine the petition’s claims. Authorities will be asked to clarify the legality of the fee hike and related concerns before the court issues further directives.
The Telangana government had recently issued a notification for liquor shop licenses valid from December 1, 2025, to November 30, 2027. Applications are being accepted for 2,620 outlets across the state, with the Excise Department projecting significant revenue generation through application and license fees under the new policy.