Khordha, June 2: The Excise Department has completed preparations for the lottery process to allot 35 liquor shops in Khordha sub-division, which is scheduled to be held on Tuesday. Extensive security arrangements have been put in place by the district police to ensure the smooth and orderly conduct of the lottery.

According to official sources, a notification was issued on May 5 inviting online applications from interested traders to participate in the lottery for 20 Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) shops and 15 country liquor outlets under the jurisdiction of the Khordha Excise Superintendent's office.

Applicants were required to deposit a non-refundable security amount of ₹3 lakh for each foreign liquor shop application and ₹2 lakh for each country liquor shop application by May 18. The Excise Department had clearly stated that the deposited amount would not be refunded.

Although the lottery was initially scheduled to be held on May 22 at the Zilla Parishad office, the date was later revised.

For the 20 foreign liquor shops, 410 applicants submitted entries, resulting in the Excise Department collecting ₹12.30 crore as security deposits. Similarly, 328 applicants applied for the 15 country liquor outlets, contributing another ₹6.56 crore in deposits.

In total, 738 applicants have deposited ₹18.86 crore with the department ahead of the lottery for the 35 liquor shops. The substantial amount has already been credited to the Excise Department's account before the allocation process begins.

Officials said all arrangements for the lottery have been finalized, while police have deployed adequate personnel and security measures to maintain law and order during the event