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| Liquor consumption in Kashmir | | Intake increases by 30 percent during last 3 years | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Dec 7:Various sections of the people in Kashmir valley have supported Dr Farooq Abdullah's call for opening of liquor shops and cinema halls on the plea that if it was done it could reduce the level of bootlegging and sale of spurious liquor in Kashmir.
Official sources said that the strong reaction of the separatists to Farooq Abdullah's suggestion does not seem to have any justification because of the increase in the consumption of liquor in the Kashmir valley.
Government reports said that about 17 lakh bottle of IMFL, beer and liquor were sold in the Kashmir valley during the last one year indicating an increase in the consumption of liquor by 30 per cent.
Sources said that it was the result of increase in the consumption of liquor in the state that the level of production of IMFL and country liquor within the state had registered marked increase. They said that during the last one year over 14.30 lakh cases of IMFL were manufactured within the state and during the same period about 14 lakh cases of country liquor were manufactured.
They said ban imposed on liquor trade in the Kashmir valley by the militants 21 years ago has simply befitted bootleggers and in various cases IMFL, beer and country made liquor bottles were sold at higher prices in the valley than in the Jammu region.
Experts are of the opinion that since the state Government treated liquor trade as good as a golden hen it kept on imposing heavy excise and the VAT on it which had hiked the prices by over 30 per cent when compared to Punjab, Haryana and Himachal.
Similarly increase on excise duty on CSD items had made liquor costly in the defence canteens in Jammu and Kashmir than in other states.
They said that this had led to increase in smuggling of liquor into Jammu and Kashmir from the neighbouring states.
They said that the Finance Minister's prescription to hike liquor prices to such an extent that it as unaffordable had failed and instead it had caused revenue loss.
They have suggested to the state Government to stop increasing excise duty every year.
They have suggested to Finance Minister AR Rather to either reduce excise duty or stop increasing VAT and excise for next three years.
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