Sat Sep 27 16:39:46 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text, followed by a rewritten version as a news article suitable for The Hindu:

**Summary:**

Former Telangana Minister and BRS MLA T. Harish Rao has accused current Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of prioritizing liquor revenue over public welfare. Rao criticizes increases in liquor shop application fees and liquor prices, alleging the government is deliberately increasing access to alcohol and targeting higher excise income. He also claims the government is failing to deliver on promises to remove “belt shops,” and is pressuring officials to meet liquor sales targets. Further accusations include the promotion of microbreweries and misleading the Gowda community regarding wine shop reservations.

**News Article:**

**Liquor-Driven Revenue Policy Endangering Public Welfare, Alleges Former Minister Rao**

**Hyderabad, September 27, 2025** – Former Minister and BRS MLA T. Harish Rao launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy today, accusing the Congress government of pursuing a liquor-driven revenue policy that undermines public welfare. Rao’s statement, released late this evening, alleges that the government is actively facilitating increased access to alcohol at inflated prices, prioritizing excise income over the well-being of Telangana’s citizens.

“Instead of providing relief to the people, this government is ensuring that more people have more access to liquor,” Rao stated. He highlighted the increase in liquor shop application fees from ₹2 lakh to ₹3 lakh and the “arbitrary increase” in liquor prices as evidence of the government’s intention to double excise income.

Rao further accused the government of breaking promises to eradicate “belt shops,” which were intended to curb unregulated alcohol sales. “The Congress promised to remove belt shops, but now they have flooded every village with liquor,” he asserted, also claiming the Chief Minister is pressuring officials to meet unrealistic sales targets.

The former minister also raised concerns about the proliferation of microbreweries across the state, claiming the government is turning Telangana into a “state of drinkers.” He accused the government of misleading the Gowda community by announcing a 25% reservation in wine shops while failing to implement even the 15% quota introduced by the previous BRS government.

The allegations from Rao come amid ongoing debates about the state’s economic policies and their impact on public health. The Chief Minister’s office has yet to respond to the accusations.

Read More