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Leh,: Anger is brewing in Ladakh region of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir over the newly approved excise policy allowing expansion of liquor trade, introduced under the pretext of combating drug abuse, revenue generation and tourism promotion.<\/p>\n
According to Kashmir Media Service, the policy was approved by New Delhi-appointed Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. The administration said the new excise policy marks a major reform in the territory\u2019s excise regime, introducing a \u201cliberalised, transparent and technology-enabled regulatory framework\u201d aimed at balancing public convenience, tourism promotion, revenue optimisation, and regulation of the liquor trade. It further claimed that the policy is intended to curb rising drug dependency and offer residents a wider choice of low-alcohol content liquor in the Ladakh region.<\/p>\n
However, the move has triggered widespread concern and criticism from various political and religious groups in Ladakh.<\/p>\n
The All-Ladakh Gonpa Association, in a statement, said that during a meeting held under the LG\u2019s chair on the subject, civil society participants expressed strong resentment over the expansion of liquor outlets in the region. The group said it favours declaring Ladakh a dry region, adding that the logic of tackling drug abuse through the promotion of liquor is unacceptable.<\/p>\n
The women wing of the influential Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) also opposed the policy, warning that it could have far-reaching negative social consequences for the region.<\/p>\n
Several political leaders have also voiced opposition. Kargil-based political leader and Kargil Democratic Alliance co-chairman Sajjad Kargili said it is difficult to understand the justification for opening liquor shops in the name of combating drug abuse. He said alcohol itself is an intoxicant and, in many cases, contributes to addiction rather than addressing it, adding that tackling one form of substance abuse by promoting another is neither sound policy nor a credible approach to protecting society.<\/p>\n
Kargili further said Ladakh has long been guided by social values that discourage the use of intoxicants, noting that alcohol consumption has neither been part of the region\u2019s cultural ethos nor acceptable to the majority of the population. He warned that any attempt to normalize or institutionalize liquor under the pretext of revenue generation or tourism promotion runs contrary to the local sentiments, traditions and aspirations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Leh,: Anger is brewing in Ladakh region of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir over the newly approved excise policy allowing expansion of liquor trade, introduced under the pretext of combating drug abuse, revenue generation and tourism promotion. According to Kashmir Media Service, the policy was approved by New Delhi-appointed Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":202390,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-202386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indian-occupied-jammu-and-kashmir"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t