By Sanjeev Pargal
Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather replying to debate on grants of
Finance Ministry in Legislative Assembly on Monday.
(See more pic on ….)
JAMMU, Mar 12: Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather today ruled out prohibition in Jammu and Kashmir saying it had not succeeded in Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat and instead encouraged smuggling of liquor and illicit distillation but announced a series of measures to check the menace of liquor.Replying to debate on the grants of his Departments including Finance and Ladakh Affairs in the Legislative Assembly today, Mr Rather recalled that both Andhra Pradesh and Haryana, which had announced prohibition in 1990 and 1996 had to withdraw the decision within two years as it led to smuggling of liquor and illegal business of spurious distillation. “Even in Gujarat, where there was still prohibition, the liquor was delivered on demand in homes through different means. It was not possible for the police constables to raid each and every house’’, he said, adding besides encouraging menace of illicit liquor and smuggling the prohibition would also lead to immense revenue losses, which a smaller State like Jammu and Kashmir couldn’t afford.
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