Srinagar, Mar 12, KNT: Even as political and religious groups intensify their demand for a complete ban on liquor in Jammu and Kashmir, the government has moved ahead with plans to expand the liquor trade by inviting bids for new shops across the Union Territory, including in the Kashmir Valley.
As per the recently released Excise Policy 2025-26, the government has put up over 200 new liquor vends for bidding across ten districts of Jammu and four districts of Kashmir. The policy, issued by the Finance Department under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, will come into effect on April 1, 2025, and remain in force until March 31, 2026. According to the document, licenses for 83 new retail outlets will be granted through e-auction during the upcoming financial year.
While liquor consumption remains a contentious issue in the region, the government’s decision to set up 14 new outlets in the Valley, including at prominent tourist destinations like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, and Sonamarg, as well as in Srinagar, Baramulla, Uri, and Kupwara, has sparked fresh debate. In Srinagar alone, new liquor shops are planned across seven municipal wards labeled A to G.
The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was the first to demand a complete prohibition, with its Kupwara legislator Mir Muhammad Fayaz Mir introducing a private member’s bill seeking a ban on the sale, purchase, and consumption of alcohol. National Conference (NC) MLA Ahsan Sheikh and Independent legislator Sheikh Khursheed Ahmad have also submitted similar bills in the ongoing assembly session. Adding to the momentum, Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, launched a signature campaign and led a protest in Srinagar last week, calling for an immediate ban on liquor.
“Liquor has no place in our spiritually rich society,” Iltija said, emphasizing that Kashmir, known as ‘Resh Wa’er’ (Land of Saints), should not be tainted by alcohol trade. Mehbooba Mufti has also reached out to the Congress, an ally of the NC, seeking support for the bill in the assembly.
The demand for prohibition has also received backing from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with leaders like former Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh and the Chairperson of the J&K Waqf Board publicly supporting restrictions on liquor sales. Meanwhile, local business groups in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk put up posters urging tourists to “Say No to Alcohol,” though these were swiftly removed by the police.
Despite growing opposition, the J&K government appears committed to expanding its liquor policy, citing rising excise revenues as a key factor. According to an economic survey report tabled in the assembly, the excise department has strengthened the e-Abgari platform to track the liquor supply chain, leading to greater transparency in the auction of liquor vends. The report states that revenue collection from liquor sales has grown steadily, with a 4% increase expected in 2024-25, pushing the total excise revenue to Rs 2,000 crore.
As the debate over liquor regulation intensifies, the government’s move to expand the alcohol trade while opposition voices grow louder sets the stage for a heated political battle in the coming months.
