Licence has been issued to 22 liquor shops around Medaram village this year and a temporary depot set up at Tadvai from where liquor is being supplied to the shops, said district Excise superintendent V. Sashidhar Reddy.
The State government sanctioned 471 personnel as against their demand for 513 personnel for jatara duties, he added.
The shops that have been given temporary liquor licence costing ₹1 lakh each would function at Urattam, Narlapur, Bayyakkapet, Kothur and other villages around Medaram. Shop owners have to pay ₹9,000 per day.
To check unauthorised sale of liquor, the department has set up 11 check posts and drafted eight mobile teams. Mr Sashidhar Reddy said jaggery collected at the altar would be transported by the Endowment Department to other States with an excise escort to control distillation of illicit liquor in tribal hamlets in erstwhile Warangal district.
The department earned a revenue of ₹3 crore during the last jatara and this time, it expects the amount to go up to ₹4 crore.
