Jamshedpur, March 5: East Singhbhum is inviting retail giants like Reliance Fresh and Spencer’s to take part in a liquor auction that will pave the way for six new outlets, using provisions outlined in a new and market friendly liquor policy recently announced by Governor Syed Sibtey Razi.

According to a senior official of the state excise department, the auction would be held on March 20 to formalise six new Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) shops in various parts of the district, besides three composite liquor outlets to be located in suburban areas.

Aiming to end the four-year monopoly of the liquor syndicate, the new excise policy envisages creating a level playing field for all traders. It also seeks to allow select departmental stores to get wine licences that would allow them to sell premium liquor.

The assistant excise commissioner of East Singhbhum, B.Mandal, said the allocation of liquor shops would be done on the basis of the new excise policy. Also, apart from Reliance Fresh and Spencer’s, the department was also trying to ensure participation of others like Vishal Mega Mart.

“Though, we haven’t received any application yet, we are hopeful of a large turnout of prospective buyers as the process of shop allocation has been made transparent,” said a senior excise department official.

But it was too early for retailers to make a commitment. Prabhat Sinha, state mentor of Reliance Retail Limited, said they hadn’t received the proposal yet. “Let us first get the proposal from the excise department after which we will examine it,” he clarified.

East Singhbhum now has 91 outlets selling IMFL, besides 37 country liquor outlets and 26 shops that sell spice liquor. The proposed six new IMFL shops would be spread over various parts of the district. “From this year, we have come up with the concept of opening composite shops in suburban areas. These shops, to be located at Dumaria, Potka and Haldipokhar, will be given licences to sell all three varieties of liquor,” explained the official.

The department has already issued a public notice for the auction. Bidders have been asked to submit applications on or before March 16 with a non refundable deposit of Rs 5,000 for urban areas and Rs 4,000 for suburban areas.

To run liquor shops, bidders who would be allotted shops would have to pay a fee of anything between Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 1.97 crore for a year.