After the State Cabinet nod to give retail liquor sale in private hands on the old pattern, the Excise Department is all set to start the process very soon.
Excise Commissioner Bhor Singh Yadav said, “The department has completed the preparation work for e-lottery of the liquor shops and after approval of competent authority the department will start its process formally. The department will get approval within a week.”
According to the plan of Excise department, at the end of the month application will be sought from aspiring candidates for the shops. The department is trying to finalise the distribution of shops in mid of the February. The distribution system will be based on electronic lottery system and winner of the lottery will get shop license from the first week of March.
While commenting on the new system Yadav said, “In new system numbers of licensee liquor shop will increase in the State. At present the number of government liquor shops is 706. Out of which the number of government’s liquor shop is 58 in Ranchi. After the lottery system the numbers of liquor shop will increase upto 1500 in Jharkhand whereas in the State capital the numbers of liquor will increase to 158.”
As it may be mentioned here that the numbers of liquor shop was almost half when State Beverage Corporation started retail liquor selling in the State. Now once again to bring old system there is effort to increase numbers of liquor in the State. According to the Excise department’s plan, applicant can apply for more than one liquor shop. One person or one group can apply for three liquor shop. The Excise department is listing the sites for shops.
The department has made a plan with view of revenue collection, one to three shops in group can be put in lottery system.
With higher revenue collecting shop a lower revenue collecting shop will be included. One person can apply for many shops but for one shops only three person or group of person can apply.
To participate in lottery for related shop two percent of total revenue has to be deposited as security money.