17-07-2025
State govt. mulls ban on toddy shops within ORR limits
The Telangana Excise and Prohibition Department has proposed shutting down all toddy shops operating within the limits of the Outer Ring Road (ORR), in a bid to crack down on the sale of adulterated toddy.
The government is actively considering the proposal and has sought a detailed report from the Excise Department, according to informed sources.
The move comes after the Kukatpally adulterated toddy incident that claimed at least ten lives and left over 50 individuals hospitalised. The case has led to mounting concern over the increasing use of banned substances including alprazolam, chloral hydrate and other chemicals in toddy.
Sharing the rationale behind the move, a source close to the development, said that the Kukatpally incident not only triggered public outrage but also drew parallels to a similar episode in 2004, which led then Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy to shut down toddy shops in Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
According to data compiled by the Excise Department, a total of 454 toddy shops operate within ORR limits, functioning under 390 cooperative societies. These include 53 shops in Hyderabad, 50 in Secunderabad, 79 in Malkajgiri of Rangareddy district, 52 in Medchal, 158 in Saroornagar and 62 in Shamshabad.
If the ban is implemented, it would impact toddy sales across major urban zones including Hyderabad, Secunderabad and parts of Rangareddy, particularly under the excise divisions of Malkajgiri, Medchal, Shadnagar and Saroornagar.
Additionally, the government is likely to cancel Tree For Trade (TFT) toddy concessions (licensing of toddy shops to individual tappers or Tappers' Cooperative Societies) in these areas as part of the broader crackdown.
Authorities maintain that removing toddy outlets from the ORR region is the only effective way to prevent the distribution of adulterated toddy in urban areas. The State government is expected to make a final decision on the proposal in the coming weeks.
