Reopen cinemas, liquor shops in Kashmir: Farooq Abdullah

The Union minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr Farooq Abdullah on Monday favoured reopening of cinemas and liquor shops in Kashmir Valley for expanding recreational facilities for visiting tourists.

Dr Farooq was speaking at a function to mark the 106 birth anniversary of his father Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in Srinagar on Monday afternoon.

He said the 'reopening of the cinema halls and liquor shops would give a fillip to the tourism industry', which witnessed an unprecedented boom this year with more than seven lakh tourists visiting the valley.

The cinema halls and liquor shops were closed in Kashmir Valley in the wake of the eruption of militancy in early 1990.

Though some liquor shops have reopened in high security areas of the city, only one cinema hall located near the civil secretariat in the high security area is functional.

The other cinema halls have already diversified into hotels, hospitals, while some are occupied by security forces.

Dr Farooq said that 'we have to create more infrastructural facilities for attracting more tourists which will provide employment opportunities for the youth'.