How government ventured into the retail liquor business in Chhattisgarh

Initiative prevents state from losing three-fourth of excise revenue

In the first week of January, a liquor cartel gathered in the Chhattisgarh capital for a secret deal with a big plan on the card to dent a big blow to the state’s excise revenue.

The contractors held a meeting in one of the partners’ house and decided not to participate in the bid for 417 shops when put for auction. The shops were to be shifted to new locations following the apex court ruling that banned vending liquor within 500 meters of state and national highways.

The state government had identified the new location for the 417 shops. But