As liquor license revenue soared to the highest ₹2,280 crore in Jammu and Kashmir, the bidding for south Kashmir’s Qazigund vendor set a record in a recent auction, with the highest bidding of ₹5.23 crore.
Official figures suggest that the auction of liquor licences has crossed previous records by fetching ₹2,280 crore as revenue this year, compared with ₹1,777 crore in 2022 and ₹1,796 crore in 2023.
The bid for the Qazigund license at ₹5.23 crore is followed by a ₹3.14 crore bid for Udhampur’s Ramnagar, officials said.
Officials said 38 liquor shops are yet to be auctioned.
The bidding figures in Kashmir come as a surprise because the Valley is considered a conservative society and Islam, the main faith practiced by locals, forbids the consumption of liquor.
The rise in tourist footfall may have spiked liquor consumption in Jammu and Kashmir, including in the Valley.
The Excise Department of J&K started the bidding process earlier this month and invited prospective bidders for a pre-bid meeting at the Excise and Taxation Training Institute (ETTI), Nagrota.
“The allotment of JKEL-2 vends, commonly known as wine shops, is being conducted in a completely transparent and secure mode through J&K Bank,” an official said.
The Lieutenant-Governor’s administration has plans to set up 187 liquor shops in J&K, including in Kashmir.
