Srinagar, March 13 Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, on Wednesday, reacted to a news report that 200 liquor outlets were being advertised for allotment by the government as part of its excise policy 2025-2026.
Taking to his social media platform X page, Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said, "NO NEW LIQUOR VENDS ARE BEING ADVERTISED OR ALLOTED BY MY GOVERNMENT."
"TV channels & news portals should immediately stop peddling this lie."
In support of his statement, the Chief Minister also posted a screen shot of a government statement to clarify the actual position.
The government statement said, "As per J&K excise policy for the year 2025-2026 notified vide SO 38 dated February 25, 2025, 305 number of vends (wine shops) were out to e-auction on February 15, 2025, and after the culmination of the bidding process, 271 vends got allotted through the e-auction process (conducted by the J&K Bank) to the successful H1 bidders and the rest 34 are being put to re-auction through public notice issued on March 7, 2025, and bidding process (to be conducted by the J&K Bank) shall be completed on March 17, 2025, for the 34 vends."
"It is relevant to mention herein that the number of JKEL-2 vends (Wine Shops) remains unchanged i.e, since FY 2023-2024 and there is no increase in any vend either in Jammu or Kashmir."
"The break-up of the vends (Wine Shops): Jammu 291 and Kashmir 14."
"All details regarding the excise policy along with location of the vends (Wine Shops) etc. is available on the official website of the excise department i.e.https://jkexcise.nic.in."
"Therefore, the news being circulated through social media regarding increase in number of vends (Wine Shops) in Jammu & Kashmir is fake/baseless," the government statement said.
The report of re-auction of 34 vends appears to have created the misconception about new vends being set up in Kashmir province.
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