Liquor Shop Auction Smashes Target, Rakes in Rs 1,193 Crore
The vends were classified in four groups for the first time this year
Bhopal
Auction for liquor shops in the state capital for 2024-25 is done and dusted on Sunday, pulling in a whopping Rs 1,193 crore—11% more than what the excise department was aiming for.
All 87 liquor shops were auctioned online, starting with a reserve price of Rs 1,073 crore. Bidders pushed the final offer to Rs 1,193 crore before the process wrapped up on Sunday. Assistant Excise Commissioner Deepam Raichura, Deputy Commissioner Yashwant Dhanora, and District Controller HS Goyal kept a close eye on the proceedings.
District Controller Goyal confirmed that every single liquor shop in Bhopal found a buyer. The city was divided into four groups, covering major spots like Arera Colony, MP Nagar, Jehangirabad, and Lalghati.
The last auction had flopped, bringing in just Rs 607 crore from 49 shops under a lottery system—way below the target. With fewer applications coming in, officials decided to relaunch the bidding.
The online battle stretched into Saturday night, finally wrapping up by Sunday morning. With the new auction pulling in Rs 1,193 crore, the excise department is set to collect a lot more than last year’s Rs 895 crore.
