The Odisha government plans to hold a lottery in April to decide who gets liquor shop licenses. State Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan says they’re committed to full transparency, making sure the process is fair and without any dishonest conduct. District Collectors will be there during the lottery, and they’re looking at using an electronic lottery system to keep things smooth and straightforward.
Right now, five-year licenses for existing off-shops and Country Liquor (CL) shops expire on March 31. To avoid any gaps in business while the new lottery happens, the state is giving current license holders a two-month extension. This keeps everything running until the fresh allotments are finalized over the next few weeks.
With the new excise policy, the government makes it clear: there won’t be any new liquor shops opening. The total number of off-shop outlets stays the same statewide. The Minimum Guaranteed Excise Revenue (MGER) for these shops will follow new rules set by the government. While retail shop numbers are staying put, hotels with three-star ratings or higher that already have bar facilities can still get on-shop (bar) permissions under the new policy.