JAMMU: Claiming that issuing of licenses to those allotted liquor vends through the e-auction process was violation of the J&K Excise Act, the erstwhile wine traders on Thursday announced to resume their protest after the Covid pandemic situation improves.
They also alleged that the New Excise Police has flourished illicit liquor mafia in Jammu and Kashmir as is evident from the large scale smuggling of liquor during the ongoing lockdown period and this trend is feared to continue in the near future. Talking to media persons, here, President of Jammu Kashmir Wine Traders Association, Charanjeet Singh alleged that such a situation was seen in other States also where liquor mafia was flourishing under the similar policy.
“This is the reason that we have had been opposing the New Excise Policy from the day one but those at the helm of affairs have turned a blind eye towards this reality,” he added. Alleging violation of Excise Rules in issuing of licenses to those allotted liquor vends in e-auction, Charanjeet Singh accused the higher ups of giving a window to the new licensees to approach the court for stay once licenses are issued. Lamenting that the New Excise Policy snatched only livelihood of the erstwhile liquor traders in Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Singh termed it as `murder of families’.
“This establishment and the ruling BJP are responsible for this murder of families,” he alleged and claimed that 30,000 families were directly or indirectly involved in earning their livelihood from this business and most of the erstwhile licensees were widows, senior citizens and unemployed youth who have no other source of income.
Charanjeet Singh announced that the erstwhile wine traders would continue to raise their voice against the wrong done by the Government and protests in this connection will resume once the prevailing Covid pandemic situation improves.
