The error was inadvertent and is highly regretted.
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday dismissed reports claiming that his government was allotting new liquor vends in the Union Territory.
Taking to X, he wrote, “NO NEW LIQUOR VENDS ARE BEING ADVERTISED OR ALLOTTED BY MY GOVERNMENT. TV channels & news portals should immediately stop peddling this lie.”
His statement comes after a report claimed, that the JK government had invited bids for 83 new liquor shops, including in four districts of the Kashmir Valley.
Following the news, media organisations, including Free Press Kashmir also reported the same. However, after clarification, FPK found the report to be misleading.
FPK Found that as per J&K Excise Policy for the year 2025-26, 305 number of vends (Wine Shops) were put to e-auction on February 15, 2025.
After the culmination of the bidding process, 271 vends got allotted through the e-auction process.
The number of JKEL-2 vends (Wine Shops) remained unchanged since FY 2023-24 and there is no increase in any vend either in Jammu or in Kashmir.
The earlier error was inadvertent and is highly regretted. This error does not align with our journalistic integrity and merit.
