Kolkata,  After completely monopolising the wholesale liquor trade in West Bengal in 2017, the cash-strapped state government has now decided to enter retail liquor trading in association with private entities.

The West Bengal State Beverages Corporation (BEV-Co), the state-run and the only wholesale liquor entity in West Bengal, has floated an e-tender to start BEV-Co Retail Shops under franchisee system initially in the three districts in north Bengal, namely Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Alipurduar districts.

A total of 92 spots in these three districts have been selected for opening these franchisee retail shops, with Darjeeling having the maximum share at 42, followed by Alipurduar at 31, and Kalimpong at 19. State Excise Department sources said that the reason for choosing these three north Bengal districts for BEV-Co's entry in retail trade is because the average distance between two liquor shops in these three districts are more than that in other districts in the state.

Those who will be finally selected to be franchisees will have to pay an initial amount to BEV-Co, besides offering a share of the profit earned from these outlets. The regular brands of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), country liquor, foreign liquor brands, and beer would be sold through these franchisee retail outlets of Bevco.

The opposition parties have criticized the decision and said that since state excise is the only source of state's own revenue, the state government has adopted the easy path to generate additional resources instead of venturing alternative routes like facilitating industrialisation.

According to BJP's state President, Sukanta Majumdar, actually the intention of the state government is to keep the younger generation intoxicated so that they do not organise protests demanding jobs or against corrupt practices of the ruling party.

However, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member, Dr Santanu Sen said that West Bengal is not the only Indian state where the state government is into retail liquor trading. "This will generate additional state's own revenue on one hand and on the other hand it will also reduce chances of selling of spurious liquor," he said.