Gurugram, Jun 13 (IANS): The Haryana government has earned Rs 1,756 crore from the auction of 162 liquor shops in the East and West zone via e-tenders in Gurugram, officials said.

According to the New Excise Policy, online tenders were opened on Wednesday for 162 shops in the East and West Zones. The East area is an upscale locality of the city.

Earlier, the officials said that there were a total of 69 sectors in the East Zone which have now been reduced to 40.

They said that liquor traders can now open four liquor shops in one zone.

There are around 342 liquor shops in Gurugram, and the Excise Department in the city is divided into two zones - East and West.

The wine shop located on the golf course road in the East Zone attracted the highest bid of Rs 50.57 crore. A liquor vend located near Bristol Chowk was sold for Rs 48.28 crore.

"Tenders were opened for wine shops under the online tender process on behalf of the headquarters, the department has collected revenue of Rs 1,756 crore from 162 shops in East and West zones," a senior officer of the Excise Department, Gurugram said.

"The auction of two zones in the west and 20 zones in the east is scheduled to take place in the second phase on June 14. After the auction of all the liquor shops, the amount of revenue will increase further," Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner (East) Amit Bhatia said.