Jammu, Feb 3: The New Excise Policy of Jammu and Kashmir has barred opening of any wine shop within radius of 50 meters of religious places and educational institutions across the Union Territory.

The Excise Policy, released today, will come into force from April 1 this year and will remain in place for 1 year.

Ban on Wine Shops near religious, educational institutions after protests, criticism

The copy of J&K Excise Policy 2024-25 reads that an individual to whom a license is granted may preferably establish the vend 50 meters away from any recognised educational institute and religious place. The clause has been added after widespread protest and criticism by various social and religious groups last year.

J&K Government encourage ‘local production’.

In a move to encourage the local production, Excise Department will be granting permission in favour of the existing manufacturing units viz., Distilleries, Bottling, Plants and Wineries for export, import, transportation, processing, maturation and sale of bulk Spirits, Mixtures, Concentrates etc. with annual fee of Rs 1 Lakh. Department will also be encouraging for domestic use as well as export outside India.

Properties of bidders to be auctioned for ‘non-payment’.

For the first time, J&K Excise department has brought in clause to confiscate the property of the bidder and later auction same to recovery the amount of the bid, incase of non payment. “Incase bidder fails to deposit the requisite bid amount within the stipulated time shall be proceeded against for recovery of bid amount committed during the E-auction proceedings by the concerned Deputy Excise Commissioner Executive Jammu/Kashmir under J&K Land Revenue Act 1996 Svt,” reads J&K Excise Policy 2024-25.

Minimum bid price at Rs 15 lakh; maximum at 75 lakh.

New initiative of linkage of minimum reserve bid price with sale potential of each vend is part of new policy. The vends in Lach Khazana Panchayat of Kishtwar and MC Ramnagar of Udhampur district have been placed at minimum reserve bid price of 75 lakhs, which is the highest across Jammu and Kashmir while the minimum reserve bid price has been kept at 15 lakh.

Source:- (RepublicTV)