Early Times Newspaper Jammu
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Aspiring entrepreneurs find lacunas in New Excise Policy
Ask Govt to come clear on NOC process before starting e-bidding
Early Times Report

Jammu, Apr 10: Some aspiring entrepreneurs, who had initially welcomed the New Excise Policy-2021-22, now are having doubts, alleging that the policy has lacunas and the government must declare the procedure to get NOC (No Objection Certificate) before starting the e-bidding process.
During discussion with media persons, a few entrepreneurs explained some lacunas in the “New Excise Policy” and appealed to the government to make it clear the ambiguities.
Explaining the same, the entrepreneurs said that new policy seeks the successful bidders to give in advance the Minimum Guarantee Revenue (MGR) decided by the government for particular shops.
“The successful bidder will have to pay MGR in advance that will run in several lakhs of rupees. Moreover, the government has also mentioned Minimum Retail Price (MRP) of liquor as well as quota for each shop, which is flawed”, they said, adding, “MRP of liquor is also mentioned as well as minimum quota for each shop.
There is no explanation in the policy that whether this minimum liquor quota will be carried forward in next month or not”, they said, adding, “In all states where e-bidding system is in vogue, there is no MRP as well as quota system for the liquor sale.”
They further said, “If across the country there is no such MRP as well as quota system, then it is beyond comprehension as why both these flawed parameters have been included in New Excise Policy in Jammu and Kashmir”.
Raising a finger over the events that unfolded during the framing and uploading of the policy, the entrepreneurs further said that the draft policy was uploaded on the official website in the dead of the night at 2 AM. “Next morning it was published in the newspapers and by 2 PM of the same day, the department sought suggestions, which was merely eyewash”, they said, adding, “From the series of events, it is clear that the policy was framed on behalf of the liquor mafia.”
They further went on to add that the introducing new policy should not benefit only a few people (liquor mafia) but it should be for everyone.
As per policy, after the bidding process the successful bidder has to secure No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the respective Deputy Commissioner of the area. “But so far the procedure of getting the NOC has not been defined by the government. The parameters required to secure NOC should be crystal clear and made public before the onset of the e-bidding process. It should not be the case that entrepreneurs will spend money and later won’t get the NOC”, they said.
Elucidating further the entrepreneurs said, “Even the Rs. 25000/ bid amount is non-refundable but if the successful bidder will not be able to comply with the bid, the Rs 5 lakh will also turn out to be non-refundable”. They further said, “Before the bidding process the NOC parameters should be made public so that an aspiring bidder would be sure enough that if he would be able to fulfill the criteria required to secure the NOC, then only he/she will be able to decide whether to participate in the bidding process or not.”
Referring to the rise in COVID-19 infections, the entrepreneurs said that night curfew was already in force and if there restrictions are tightened then what are the safeguards the government has kept for the new entrepreneurs.
The entrepreneurs said that people already in the wine trade in J&K have been opposing the new policy. “So we want to ask the government that for whom this new policy has been framed”, they said, adding that they are the newcomers in the wine-trade government should clear all the ambiguities before inviting the bids.