Days after a report of the Delhi Chief Secretary accused the Arvind Kejriwal-led-government of financial quid pro quo, the Delhi government has taken a U-turn on its new excise policy.
As per reports, the current Excise Policy 2021-22 is set to expire on Sunday (July 31). Amidst criticism, the Delhi government is now switching back to its old regime of retail liquor sales for the following 6 months.
Veteran journalist Kanchan Gupta asked, “If new excise policy of @ArvindKejriwal Govt was not a ‘mega scam’, why are they rushing to revert to old policy after CBI inquiry heat? So, who’s running scared in panic?”
If new excise policy of @ArvindKejriwal Govt was not a ‘mega scam’, why are they rushing to revert to old policy after CBI inquiry heat?
— Kanchan Gupta 🇮🇳 (@KanchanGupta) July 30, 2022
Recall Kejriwal’s bluster: “We’re Bhagat Singh’s aulad, we’re not afraid, Savarkar’s aulad can’t scare us.”
So, who’s running scared in panic? pic.twitter.com/g78QULVfLF
Reportedly, an official direction was issued on Friday (July 29) by Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. “…Vide which it has, inter-alia, been directed to revert to the old regime of excise policy for a period of six months till a fresh excise policy is in place…” read one of the orders.
The order bore the signature of the Principal Secretary of the Finance Department, Ashish Chandra Verma. It directed 4 govt agencies to collect the names and locations of old vendors and the current status of their shops.
The agencies included Delhi Consumer’s Cooperative Wholesale Store (DCCWS), Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (DSCSC), Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), and Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC).
Another order was issued by RP Singh, who serves as the manager of personnel at DSCSC. It directed the agency to reach out to the staff of the vends, prepare rent agreements with their landlords for reopening their shops.
Allegations of corruption and financial impropriety
Earlier, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena had recommended an investigation into the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 based on a report by the Delhi Chief Secretary.
The report alleged breaches of the GNCTD Act of 1991, the Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR) of 1993, the Delhi Excise Act of 2009, and the Delhi Excise Rules of 2010. It claimed that the liquor mafia was also granted a benefit of Rs 144 crores.
The Chief Secretary’s report, which was sent to both LG and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, “indicate substantively of financial quid pro quo at the top political level, wherein the Minister In-charge of the Excise Department, Manish Sisodia, took and got executed, major decisions/actions in violation of the statutory provisions and the notified Excise Policy that had huge financial implications.”
“Sisodia also allegedly extended undue financial favours to the liquor licensees much after the tenders had been awarded and thus caused huge losses to the exchequer,” the report further added.
