A few days after a new liquor outlet came up in the residential building in Sonwar, Srinagar, it was seized on Friday by the Badami Bagh Cantonment (BBC) Board.
Speaking with The Kashmir Walla, an official privy with the development said that the outlet was shut after it came to light that the managers had not sought the required permission from the board.
The locality doesn’t come under the limits of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, a corporation official said, and is looked over by the BBC board. “The owner might have gotten the liquor license, however, they had not received permission from the board.”
After the liqour outlet came up in the area, the locals were aghast. The locals noted that sheds and low-intensity construction has been going on in a residential property opposite to the newly-inaugurated multiplex in the capital city.
Ghulam Ahmed, a resident of the area, told The Kashmir Walla that it was on Friday evening when the gate was locked after it was noticed that people were purchasing liquor from the property. “We will register a complaint against them. This is a residential area and how come they have been allowed to run a wine shop here?”
Notably, the property where the liquor outlet had started is adjacent to the Kendriya Vidyalaya, a government-run public school.
“It is against the rules,” Ahmed added. “How were they licensed to operate at such a close distance from the school.”
As per sources, the house was sold by its original owner around a year ago to a person from south Kashmir. Recently, it was purchased by a Jammu-based resident. The Kashmir Walla could not independently verify the antecedents of the owner of the property.
The outlet was seized by the BBC Board and further necessary legal action will be taken against the owner.
