Alcohol remarks misconstrued, Govt not supporting it: Javid Dar

Baramulla, May 12: Minister Javid Ahmad Dar on Tuesday clarified that the government is not supporting alcohol consumption and said recent remarks on the issue were being misconstrued.
Talking to reporters here, Minister Dar, maintained that an alcohol ban is desired in the Union Territory. “The government’s stand on alcohol remains clear and efforts are underway to address the issue,” he said.
“Statements are being misled. We are not supporting alcohol consumption. We want it to get banned,” the Minister said.
He said alcohol is prohibited in Islam and stressed that Jammu and Kashmir, being a Muslim majority region, should work towards distancing society from alcohol consumption.
“Alcohol is prohibited in Islam, but we are in a Union Territory and cannot directly take decisions on few of the issues,” he said.
The Minister said discussions are underway, but added that the government does not want to disclose details at this stage.
Reiterating the government’s position, the Minister said they are not in favour of alcohol and are exploring ways to curb its use in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We should find ways to get rid of it and stay away from it,” he added.
On ongoing “Nasha Mukht Abhiyan”, he said the initiative is gaining momentum across the Union Territory and stressed that collective public participation is essential to eradicate the drug menace from society.
The Minister said the anti-drug campaign has turned into a common cause and expressed hope that sustained efforts by the administration, police, health institutions and the public would yield positive results.
He said the government is focusing on rehabilitation of drug victims and treating addiction as a medical condition rather than a social stigma. (KNO)