Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, June 24: Government today ruled out banning sale and trade of liquor in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it cannot enforce decisions on others and consuming liquor is a matter of choice.
“There is a demand for banning liquor but I believe that the issue needs to be redressed on the basis of freedom of choice. As a State policy, we cannot enforce our decisions on others. There is a freedom of choice and let the people decide what they want to do,” Minister for Finance, Haseeb Drabu, said while speaking during Zero Hour in Legislative Council here.
The Minister pitched for a free and liberal society “where the choice of one is not enforced on another”. “It is same as if a person wants to be vegetarian, at the same time he cannot ban non-vegetarian food,” said the Finance Minister and defended his stance, saying Jammu and Kashmir is a tourist State.
“I believe that self-restrain is important in this regard and let individual decide for themselves rather than Government banning it,” said the Minister. However he said the issue of influx of spurious liquor is a “cause of concern” and the State Government will initiate measure to curb it.
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