In order to bridge the gap in the huge drop in excise revenue as a result of the Supreme Court highway liquor ban, the Karnataka government will open up 900 new MRP stores in the state including 30 in Bengaluru.

"We are planning to open liquor shops in phases to make up for the possible shortfall in revenue, owing to the new highway rule," Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) ISN Prasad told The Times of India.

“These shops will be managed by Mysore Sales International Limited (a state govt owned PSU). The company will rent shops and hire employees to run the stores,” an excise department official told TNM.

Speaking to TNM, an official of the Beverage Department of MSIL said, “Permission from the respective District Commissioners are required to set up these shops and each shop will require three persons to run.”

The workers will be hired on an outsourcing basis, and MSIL will sell their own stock sources from the Karnataka State Beverages Corporation.

These shops were first proposed by the state government in November 2016, but postponed the idea facing opposition from the Opposition.