UditVani, Jamshedpur : Preparations are underway for the auction of liquor shops across East Singhbhum district, with Deputy Commissioner Karn Satyarthi finalizing the blueprint as per the new directives of the Jharkhand government.
In a significant change, the administration has decided that there will no longer be separate shops for country liquor and foreign liquor.
Instead, all 109 liquor outlets in the district will now function as composite shops, offering both varieties under one roof.
The draft proposal for these outlets is being prepared and will soon be forwarded to the Excise Department in Ranchi.
Only after this will the state-level lottery process for allotment of shops begin. Officials admitted that the delay in preparing the district’s proposal has also delayed the state lottery.
109 Composite Shops to Replace Existing Outlets
Previously, the district had 109 liquor outlets: 60 composite, 43 foreign liquor and 7 country liquor shops. Under the revised policy, all 109 will now operate as composite shops.
Although the Excise Department was in favour of keeping separate outlets for country liquor to make purchases easier for labourers and low-income buyers, the district administration has ruled out such a move.
Henceforth, country liquor will also be sold from these composite shops.
Revenue Target Fixed at Rs 256 Crore
The state had set a revenue target of Rs 419 crore for the current fiscal year. However, due to the restructuring of the liquor trade, the revised target for East Singhbhum from September to March has now been fixed at Rs 256 crore.
The Minimum Guaranteed Revenue (MGR) for all 109 shops has been determined, but certain anomalies in the figures—such as one Kadma shop being pegged at Rs 3 crore and another at Rs 1 crore—are being rectified. Once corrected, the final proposal will be sent to the state government.
Following the government notification, interested applicants will file their bids, after which the lottery process will commence.
Rules for Allotment
As per the guidelines, a single company can acquire up to three groups of shops in a district, with each group comprising three outlets. At the state level, a company can hold up to nine groups.
Applications can be filed for as many groups as desired, but allotment will be finalized only through the lottery.
Rs 33 Crore Revenue Discrepancy Under Investigation
Excise officials have also revealed a revenue discrepancy amounting to Rs 33 crore.
Investigations have found that Wavell Technology Pvt. Ltd., a placement agency managing liquor sales, failed to deposit this amount with the state exchequer.
The matter is currently sub judice in the High Court, and further action will be taken only after the court’s decision.
