Criticizing Mallya's visit to Kashmir, senior National Conference leader and Finance Minister Abdur Rahimn Rather said no such proposal had come to the government. "Government has not invited him to Kashmir," he said.
Condemning Mallya's proposal PDP Vice President Iftikar Ansari said, "Mallya is Farooq Abdullah's friend. He has come here to please his friend. Farooq Abdullah would welcome wine production in Kashmir. Wasn't there any other sector where Mallya could invest in Kashmir?" Ansari said.
"People here won't tolerate this. Liquor production in Kashmir is anti-social and anti-religious," he said.
State Congress Vice President Ghulam Nabi Monga said that government should not accept any such proposal, Jammu Kashmir being a sensitive state.
He said instead of proposing liquor production in Kashmir, Mallya should have invested in Valley's developmental sectors. "It is not a good proposal. Government should not consider any such proposal," he said.
Historically, Kashmir valley was known for making very good wine in the 19th century during the British rule. When Phylloxera hit the valley in the 1890s the crops in this region did not survive the louse disease. Due to the political sensitive nature of the state, the wine production was never re-started and Maharashtra took the lead and today is almost a monopoly when it is generally accepted that the Kashmir valley might be as good or better suited for wine grape production and may be a good source of farm employment.
Reviving the plans of hop cultivation by UB perhaps refers to beer production, and not wine or liquor. Under section 147 of the constitution every State in India has the right to dictate its own alcohol policy and the licensing is a state subject.
Details are at the website at risingkashmir.com
In a quick response to the Report, UB Group said it had no plans for setting up the liquor bottling plan and that it only aimed to revive hop cultivation in Kashmir which was abandoned after the outbreak of armed rebellion in the late eighties- Editor. |