Srinagar, June 18: Jammu and Kashmir government today said it had no proposal to issue any license for running liquor shops in the state but would allow opening up of such outlets at tourist places. Minister of State for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Rehman Veeri told the legislative assembly that the government had no proposal to issue any license for running liquor shops.

The issuance of such licenses would be considered in exceptional cases keeping tourism promotion importance of the place in view, he said in reply to a supplementary by Balwant Singh (NPP). He said 325 Indian Manufatured Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and country liquor vends are operating in the state at present and that 39 licenses for operating retail outlets of IMFL had been issued by the previous government for the districts of Jammu, Udhampur and Kathua, covering both rural and urban areas of these districts.

Singh was demanding a ban on opening of further outlets and he was supported by Ashwani Sharma (IND), Manjeet Singh (BSP) and Jugal Kishore (BJP). However, Girdhari Lal (Congress) opposed such a move.

Bureau Report