Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 3: Jammu Wine Traders today suggested that Government that instead of rendering them unemployed under new Excise Policy, new liquor vends may be opened in un-served areas for generating more employment.
“If the Government wants to open new vends, we always welcome them and they can open as many as vends desired by them in un-served areas and generate new employment besides allowing us to continue as earlier,” said Digvijay Singh, spokesperson of Jammu Wine Traders Association, while addressing a press conference, here today.
Raising concern over the new Excise Policy for 2021-22, aiming to allot liquor vends through e-auctioning process by closing already operating shops, Digvijay Singh feared that the existing wine traders as well as the employees working in this trade will lose their livelihood.
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“While switching over to new excise Policy, the Government should have taken a lenient view with regard to existing license holders as e-auctioning will put at risk prospects of their survival and sustenance,” he said and reminded that the Government had earlier provided license to unemployed youth of the J&K after taking an undertaking that they would not apply for any Government job as the license was given to them to earn their livelihood.
“Now at this stage, when they (licensee) have become over aged for all the competitions, the government is snatching their livelihood and binging them on road,” said Digvijay Singh, adding that over 30,000 families are directly or indirectly earning their livelihood from this business and most of the present licensees are widows, senior citizens, bed ridden and unemployed youth, who have no other source of income.
Informing that the wine traders had recently met Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, who assured to look into the matter, Digvijay Singh reiterated that the previous policy should be continued and new vends may be opened in un-served areas for generating more employment.
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