Srinagar, Feb 7: The J&K government on Saturday said there was no proposal under consideration to open new wine shops. It stated that all liquor shop licences have been issued to J&K domiciles, while furnishing figures showing substantial revenue generated from liquor sales across districts.
The information was shared in a written reply to a question by MLA Arjun Singh Raju. Responding to the query on new wine shops, the Finance Department said that “as of now, there is no proposal to open new JKEL-2 liquor licences during the financial year 2026–27.”
The cumulative revenue from liquor sales across all districts stood at Rs 1,058 crore in 2023–24 and increased to Rs 1,090 crore in 2024–25, taking the total revenue from liquor sales in J&K over the two years to nearly Rs 2,200 crore.
The government also provided district-wise revenue figures from existing wine shops for the last two financial years—2023–24 and 2024–25—showing a steady rise in collections.
Jammu district emerged as the highest revenue contributor, generating Rs 48,350.15 lakh in 2023–24, which rose to Rs 50,913.93 lakh in 2024–25. Udhampur ranked second, contributing Rs 11,322 lakh in 2023–24 and Rs 12,061.50 lakh in 2024–25.
Other districts also recorded increases. Kathua’s revenue rose from Rs 10,653 lakh to Rs 11,272 lakh, Samba from Rs 9,138.06 lakh to Rs 9,740.15 lakh, and Rajouri from Rs 4,806.19 lakh to Rs 5,336.96 lakh.
In the Kashmir division, Srinagar’s liquor revenue increased from Rs 5,489.67 lakh in 2023–24 to Rs 6,557.66 lakh in 2024–25. Anantnag nearly reached the Rs 2,000 lakh mark in 2024–25, up from Rs 1,403.50 lakh the previous year. Baramulla, Kupwara and Ganderbal also registered growth.
Addressing concerns over alleged irregularities in the issuance of licences, the Finance Department said that “no such complaints have been received” regarding benami licences. It added that all licences are issued to J&K domiciles in accordance with the Excise Act, 1958, and the excise policy notified from time to time.
These disclosures come amid growing demands in J&K for a ban on liquor, with critics citing its links to drug abuse and crime.
