Now Reading: Only one liquor shop operational in Ladakh, administration tells Wangchuk
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Only one liquor shop operational in Ladakh, administration tells Wangchuk
Only one liquor shop operational in Ladakh, administration tells Wangchuk
The Story in Brief
The Ladakh administration on Wednesday (28 October) rejected activist Sonam Wangchuk's allegations that liquor outlets were being opened across the region, stating that only one liquor shop is currently operational in the entire Union Territory. In a press release, the Excise Department described Wangchuk's claims as 'false', 'baseless' and 'totally imaginary', advising him to verify facts through official sources.
The administration said the new Excise Policy 2026-27, notified on 1 June, was rolled back on 26 August after feedback from residents and social organisations. The previous policy (2025-26) was restored, under which only two shops were permitted in Leh, in wards 4 and 6. An auction on 14 October led to a shop opening only in ward 6, as no bid was received for ward 4.
On bars, the administration said 50 retail vends with restaurants are operational across Ladakh, along with two beer bars in Leh. Nine hotels in Leh and one in Nubra hold liquor licences, issued under distance criteria from highways, religious and educational institutions.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Kashmir Life, Times Now, Asianet News, The Tribune, ANI, and MillenniumPost all carried the administration's statement largely verbatim, giving it a uniform straight-reporting treatment. The only variation is that Times Now and The Tribune added a line about women protesting in Leh, which the press release omitted, giving a slightly more complete picture of the dispute. The administration's central claim, one shop against Wangchuk's allegation of widespread openings, stands unchallenged in all versions. Wangchuk's counter-claims (500-1,000 women protesting, bars in every lane) appear only as he stated them, without further verification from any source. A balanced reading is that the coverage is one-sided for the official account, with no outlet independently checking either side's figures.
Coverage: 5 sources, 5 neutral
Sources (5): kashmirlife.net (neutral report), timesnownews.com (neutral report), ANI (carried by asianetnews.com, aninews.in), tribuneindia.com (neutral report), millenniumpost.in (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 5 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
