JUDGMENT

Dipak Misra, J.:-Leave granted.

2. The pivotal issue that emerges for consideration in this appeal is whether the Division Bench of the High Court of Judicature at Patna has correctly interpreted the effect and impact of the Bihar Excise (Settlement of Licences for retail sale of country/spiced country liquor) Rules, 2004 (for short “the Rules”) and the sale notification published by the Collector of Kishanganj in Excise Form 127 for various excise shops in groups in the said district for the year 2006- 07 and the terms of licence.

3. As the factual matrix would exposit, the Collector, Kishanganj, got the sale notification in Excise Form 127 issued for settlement of various excise shops in various groups in the district of Kishanganj for the financial year 2006-07 which stipulated that the settlement shall be made on 23rd March, 2006 on auction-cum-tender basis and, accordingly, applications were invited from interested persons. As the settlement could not be effected in respect of group ‘ka’ shops in the said district, the Collector issued a second notification on 17th May, 2006 for the said group ‘ka’ which consisted of six country spirit shops and three spiced country s