The Legislative Assembly today allowed consideration of two private members’ Bills to declare J&K as a “dry state.” The Bills were moved by National Conference member Sheikh Ishfaq Ahmad and Congress leader GM Saroori.

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Earlier, the Bill of the NC member was disallowed by the government but due to the demand of the Opposition to go for voting on it, the Law Minister allowed both the Bills for consideration.

Minister of State for Finance Ajay Nanda gave example of Haryana where prohibition could not work. He said being a tourist state, banning sale and consumption of liquor would badly affect the economy of the state. But his argument was rejected by the opposition members

The Bills — To Prohibit the Advertisement, Sale, Purchase, Consumption and Manufacture of Alcoholic Drinks in the State of Jammu and Kashmir and A Bill to ban manufacture, sale, distribution, import, export of Liquor — were allowed for consideration.