Former MP, eight ex-MLAs involved in liquor trade: minister

A former member of parliament and eight ex-legislators are involved in liquor trade in Jammu and Kashmir, where over 225 wine shops are running with majority of these in the winter capital.
Eight former legislators and an ex-MP are having licenses for the sale of liquor in Jammu, Samba, Kathua and Leh districts, Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu informed the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in a written reply today.
All the 10 districts of Jammu region have liquor shops, while only four shops are running in summer capital Srinagar, among the 10 districts of Kashmir, and two in Leh district of Ladakh region, he said.

There has been a demand for ban on liquor in the state with a religious organisation moving High Court on the issue recently.
The High Court has issued a notice to the government for filing its response in a week to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Karwan-e-Islami on September 29.
In Jammu district, Drabu said there are 135 liquor shops, 15 hotels with bars, seven hotels with Bar and Banquet, 39 bars with restaurant, one bar with banquet, four bars with clubs and one bar in officers' mess.

In addition, there are 17 wholesale trade licenses, 20 wholesale trade licenses (manufacturing outside state) and two each outside manufacturers or suppliers for possession and wholesale of bio-imported foreign liquor and bio wine-Indian in Jammu district.

The highway district of Udhampur has the second highest number of liquor shops with their number standing at 21 followed by 19 in Kathua, 11 (Samba), nine (Rajouri) and seven (Reasi).
Six shops each are running in Ramban and Doda districts, four in Poonch and one in Kishtwar.