Jharkhand Excise's Jamshedpur office will destroy beer bottles worth about Rs 3 crore in a few days.

With liquor shops closed for about 45 days, and bars and clubs still shut, a large stock of beer have gone beyond their expiry date.

"Beer has a maximum shelf life of six months. Due to lockdown, and subsequent restrictions on the operation of bars, a huge stock of beer has expired. Such bottles were lying in licensed liquor shops and at the godown of Jharkhand State Beverage Corporation Ltd (JSBCL), along with bars and clubs. We have ceased all those bottles by visiting these establishments and are in the process of getting the expiry stock destroyed soon," East Singhbhum district assistant commissioner, excise, Arun Kumar Mishra told The Telegraph Online.

Mishra has written to the East Singhbhum deputy commissioner, Suraj Kumar for deputing a magistrate to monitor the work. “Once the DC deputes a magistrate, we will identify a spot where all the bottles will be buried after being destroyed. The work of destroying and burying the bottles will be videographed in presence of the magistrate," he said.

Mishra further informed that his department has collected over 17,000 cartons of expired beer bottles, costing a whopping Rs 3 crore.

He said this exercise will not impact government revenue, but will definitely affect the companies concerned.

According to sources in the excise department, there are 134 licensed liquor shops in the East Singhbhum, majority of which are in the steel city, besides 40 beer bars and six clubs.

Most of the stock collected from stores, bars and clubs are being stored at the JSBCL godown. A departmental officer has been deputed at the godown to ensure that expired beer is not supplied to any of the licensed shops.

Liquor shops have become operational in the state since June 1, while bars and clubs are yet to reopen.