MAHESH AVADHUTHA I hyderabad

As the clock ticks down to Thursday's extended deadline, Telangana's Excise Department is in a nail-biting sprint to snag one lakh applications for its 2,620 liquor shops. But with inauspicious stars aligning against them, the dream of raking in Rs 3,000 crore in non-refundable fees hangs by a thread. "One day to glory or shortfall?" – that's the buzz echoing through the corridors of power.

The department, eyeing a revenue bonanza at Rs 3 lakh per application, pushed the cutoff from October 18 to 23 amid OBC bandh, transport snarls, and bank glitches on October 18. Yet, the response has been a damp squib. Blame it on the Hindu calendar: October 21's Amavasya and 22's lukewarm vibes kept applicants at bay, netting just around 1,000 new forms over two days. Contrast this with the 2023-25 cycle, where 1.32 lakh applications at Rs 2 lakh each poured in Rs 2,620 crore. This time, the stakes are higher, but the enthusiasm? Not so much.

Application Stats: Ranga Reddy leads the pack

Diving into the numbers as of October 22, the state has clocked 90,316 applications for its 2,620 notified A4-shops, up from 89,344 till the 18th. This haul promises over Rs 2,700 crore so far, but falls short of the ambitious lakh-mark milestone.

Zone-wise, Ranga Reddy DC steals the show with a whopping 27,887 applications against 514 shops – a hotspot of interest, perhaps fueled by urban buzz. Nalgonda DC follows closely at 9,904 apps for 329 outlets, edging out Warangal DC's 9,775 for 294 shops. Medak DC isn't far behind with 8,204 applications across 243 shops, while Khammam DC tallies 7,934 for 204. Karimnagar DC rounds out the top tier at 7,186 for 287 shops.

On the flip side, smaller zones like Adilabad DC (3,894 for 192) and Nizamabad DC (4,084 for 151) show tempered enthusiasm. Hyderabad DC, despite its metro allure, managed 5,749 for 179 shops, highlighting uneven regional pulls. These figures underscore urban and semi-urban dominance, with Ranga Reddy's surge alone accounting for nearly a third of the state's total.

Auction postponement: Wedding Bells ring alarm for venues

Adding spice to the saga, the auction – now bumped from October 23 to 27 – is stirring up fresh chaos. Enter Karthika Masam, the auspicious month packed with wedding dates, clashing head-on with booked function halls. In Nizamabad, one venue owner threw up his hands, citing a pre-booked marriage bash. "From bids to 'I dos' – who wins the hall?" quips an insider. The department's scrambling for backups, ensuring the show goes on under district collectors' watchful eyes on that day.

Meanwhile, the Jubilee Hills by-election? No sweat. Officials confirm it's business as usual, dodging any Model Code of Conduct pitfalls. As applicants gear up for Thursday's frenzy – with counters buzzing at Prohibition offices and DPEO setups statewide – all eyes are on whether Telangana toasts to a record or settles for a sober second-best. Will the last-day rush deliver the knockout punch? Stay tuned – the bottle's half full, but time's running dry.