JUDGMENT

I. M. QUDDUSI, J. : By means of this writ petition, the petitioner has invoked the extra ordinary jurisdiction of this Court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India with a prayer to quash the impugned order dated 17.4.2007 passed by the Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Government of Orissa, Excise De¬partment refusing to renew the licence of the petitioner for IMFL Off shop at Jagannathpur Chhak and for a direction to a renew the said licence.

2. The brief facts of the case are that the petitioner was initially granted licence to open an IMFL Off Shop at Jagannath¬pur Chhak in the district of Ganjam from the date of licence to 31st of March, 2002. The date of licence was 1.6.2001. Thus the petitioner became the exclusive privilege holder of the foreign liquor off shop at Jagannathpur Chhak. The same was renewed from time to time up to the year 2004-2005. But vide letter dated 18.1.2005 (Annexure-2) notice to show cause was issued by the Collector, Ganjam to the petitioner mentioning that he along with his brother was doing clandestine liquor business and huge quan¬tity of spirit, duplicate IMFEL and other apparatus were seized from his possession in Chhatrapur P.S. Ca