Srinagar: The office of J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has dismissed reports claiming an increase in liquor vends in the region, calling them fake and baseless.
The CM’s office wrote on X, “No new liquor vends are being advertised or allotted by my government. TV channels & news portals should immediately stop peddling this lie.”
The statement reiterated that the number of wine shops (JKEL-2 vends) remains unchanged at 305 since FY 2023-24, with 291 in Jammu and 14 in Kashmir. It further clarified that the ongoing e-auction process pertains to the existing vends, with 271 already allotted and 34 set for re-auction on March 17, 2025.
The chief minister’s remarks came after reports that the government has launched bids for 83 new liquor shops in J&K.
“NO NEW LIQUOR VENDS ARE BEING ADVERTISED OR ALLOTED BY MY GOVERNMENT. TV channels & news portals should immediately stop peddling this lie,” the chief minister said on X.
In a written statement, the CM’s office said as per the J&K Excise Policy for 2025-26m dated February 15, 305 vends (Wine Shops) were put to e-auction, and after the culmination of the bidding process, 271 vends got allotted to the successful H1 bidders.
The remaining 34 locations are being put up for re-auction through public notice issued on March 7.
The bidding process (to be conducted by the J&K Bank) will be completed on March 17 for these 34 vends, the statement said.
The government said the number of JKEL-2 vends remained unchanged, i.e. 305, since FY 2023-24. There are 291 such vends in Jammu and 14 in Kashmir, it said.
The CM’s office urged media outlets to verify facts before publishing such reports and directed the public to refer to the Excise Department’s official website (https://jkexcise.nic.in) for accurate information.
