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| New excise policy: Jammu wine traders against e-auction | | |  Early Times Report
JAMMU, Mar 24: Raising concerns over the government's proposal on the draft excise policy for 2021-22, which aims to allow new liquor vendors through the process of e-auction by closing the already operating shops, Jammu Wine Traders Association (JWTA) on Wednesday said traders as well as employees working in this trade for the last over 50 years in J&K will lose their livelihood, if this policy was implemented.
"We reject this policy which is meant for rich persons alone. None of us can afford to compete in e-auction as we are small traders, who have been earning our livelihood from this business for decades," JWTA Chairman Jagdish Singh Jasrotia here told reporters.
Demanding continuation of the existing policy, he said 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 and unemployed youth, who have no other source of income.
"The new Excise Policy is nothing but a replica of the policy adopted by Geology and Mining Department and the sufferers will be general public for sure," Mr Jasrotia added.
He said that the policy will open up vistas of opportunities for outsiders, including unscrupulous elements to open their outlets in Jammu and Kashmir and lead to unethical trade practices, adding that the policy will encourage smuggling of illicit liquor in a big way, under the garb of making supplies to the outlets.
Jasrotia also informed that a delegation of the association along with Chamber of Commerce and Industries, president Arun Gupta also met Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh who assured them that no person or family of Jammu and Kashmir working in the wine trade will face any difficulty as their interests will be taken care of.
He also said that Dr Singh also assured that he will put forward their issues at the concerned quarters of the government for a favourable response.
He said that before switching over to new excise policy, the government should have taken a lenient view with regards to the existing license elders as the proposed e-auctioning will put at risk prospects of their survival and sustenance.
"There is no other option for us to earn our livelihood as we are connected with the business for years. Now, it has become almost impossible for us to continue the same due to the introduction of new excise police," he said.
He added that the earlier government provided licence to employed youth of the erstwhile J&K State and now as per new policy the unemployed person cannot participate in auction which is a great injustice for the J&K youth as unemployment is one of the top issues before the Jammu and Kashmir government.
"Most of us are well qualified and given the prime days of our youth to the trade. We worked continuously and contributed a lot to the government's revenue but it is sad to say that the government has deceived us. If this policy is implemented, we would not be able to find jobs anywhere else' as the majority among us are over-aged," he said.
"This new draft excise police would put us in a debt trap with a severe below on our livelihoods," he said. The JWTA Chairman urged the Central government and Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha to intervene into the matter and resolve their issues at the earliest. |
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