STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Saturday notified new Excise Policy 2025-26. According to notification, the Excise Policy 2025-26 enunciated as hereunder will come into force on April 1, 2025 and will continue to remain in force till March 31, 2026. However, the government may revise the same at any point of time during the course of the year.
The policy objectives include to bring about greater social consciousness and awareness about the harmful effects of consumption of alcoholic beverages and drug abuse; to encourage transition from high to low alcoholic content beverages; to rationalize the number of taxes/duties and other levies to optimize revenues for common good; to check bootlegging/smuggling of liquor and narcotic drugs in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir from neighboring States/Union Territories; to provide choice of liquor brands and places for consumption to its consumers and a level playing field to all the stake holders; tapping of full potential of existing liquor Industry to promote ancillary industries and raising new avenues of employment; and complete digitalization in liquor manufacturing, distribution and sale from production till retail consumption.
According to notification, 305 vends shall be allotted during the Policy year 2025-26, subject to fulfillment of eligibility conditions as per Bid Document and J&K Excise Policy 2025-26. These vends shall sell, in retail, to the public under one roof JK-special Whisky/JK Country Liquor and Indian made foreign liquor including imported foreign liquor/beer/wine/cider/RTD which are permitted to be sold by the Excise Department, J&K.
The E-auction for allotment of vends shall be done through the J&K Bank Ltd. on e-auction portal i.e. https://jkexcisedept.procure247.com in a completely secure and transparent manner. The detailed procedure for e-auction/instructions to the bidders shall be available on the e-auction portal and on the official website of the department i.e.www.jkexcise.nic.in. The schedule of starting and closing of online bids for each location is given in the Annexure to this notice. All licenses issued through e- Auction shall determine on 31-03-2026 irrespective of date of issuance.