Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena on Monday fired another salvo against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by forwarding to the state chief secretary a complaint received by him regarding irregularities in award of liquor licences under the new excise policy for 2021-22.
The L-G asked the chief secretary to enquire into the allegations and submit a report to him and the CM within a fortnight.
The complaint includes charges of “cartelisation, facilitating monopolies and favouring blacklisted firms”.
The complainants, including, jurists, lawyers and eminent citizens, claimed that the Kejriwal government had indulged in “deliberate and premeditated violation of the New Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22”.
“The Lt Governor has forwarded a complaint by an eminent organisation of jurists, lawyers and eminent citizens, prima facie establishing grave irregularities in award of liquor licences, to the Chief Secretary for verification and enquiry, and asked him submit a report to him and the chief minister within a fortnight,” a source said.
“The complaint that alleges cartelisation, facilitating monopolies and favoring blacklisted firms, brings out that the same was done in deliberate and premeditated violation of the new Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. The LG will take appropriate action as per law on the basis of the report,” he added.
The LG had last week recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities related to the Excise Policy 2021-22 of the Kejriwal government.
Raj Niwas sources said “the L-G will take appropriate action as per law after receiving the chief secretary’s report”.
Raj Niwas withheld the names of the complainants to protect them from harassment.Acknowledging the fresh enquiry, the AAP government said in a statement: “We welcome any enquiry or investigation into the matter. We know there are no truths to the claims. Delhi government will continue working for the welfare of the public unhindered.”
Among the specific charges levelled in the complaint to the L-G is the award of retail licence to liquor manufacturers and wholesalers.
Under the Excise policy 2021-22, implemented in November 2021, licenses for 849 retail liquor stores were given through open bidding.
The city was divided into 32 zones and each bidder was allowed to have a maximum two zonal licenses.
The sources alleged “corruption” in awarding zonal licences in violation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.
“Clause 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 of the New Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 prohibit emergence of monopolies and cartel in liquor business and that no entity shall be allotted more than two zones.
However, in complete violation of these clauses, two entities of a company were awarded zonal retail licenses for zone 32 and zones 4 and 23,” they claimed citing the complaint.
The clauses also prohibit bidding by any company/party which has any manufacturing facilities directly or through any sister concern, the sources said.
However, the company which is engaged in manufacturing of liquor was given zonal licenses, they claimed.
Also, two companies acted as a cartel to get zonal licenses, they said.
There were also firms, including one in Madhya Pradesh, that were blacklisted by the state’s excise department for evasion of excise duty, that got licenses, the sources said citing the complaint.
Complaint names firms in the nexus
Manufacturers, wholesalers and other businesses pooled resources to bag multiple licenses thus acting as a cartel. Names of firms in the cartel are part of the complaint.
Opposition protests against Kejriwal government
Delhi BJP leaders and workers on Monday staged a demonstration near the Aam Aadmi Party office here.
The protesters assembled near the ITO crossing and tried to march towards the AAP’s DDU Marg office but were stopped by police.
Those who jumped the barricades put up by the police were detained, BJP leaders said.
The Excise Policy 2021-22 of the Delhi government has come under the scanner with Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommending a CBI probe into alleged violation of rules and procedural lapses in its implementation.
Demanding action against Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the excise portfolio, the protesters claimed that there was a “scam” in the implementation of the policy.
“We have come here to protest and demand the sacking of Sisodia, as well as another minister of Kejriwal government Satyendar Jain, who is currently in jail in a money laundering case,” said Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta.
For the first time in history, a minister has been jailed but is yet to be removed from the government, and this shows the “shamelessness” of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, he said.
Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, BJP state general secretaries Kuljeet Chahal and Dinesh Pratap Singh, party vice president Ashok Goel Devraha and many other leaders took part in the demonstration.
Bidhuri claimed that the Kejriwal government pushed the youth of the city towards alcoholism by increasing the number of liquor stores to 849.
The Delhi Congress on Monday said it staged a protest outside Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s residence here.
Leaders and workers of the party gathered in Patparganj holding banners and raised slogans against Sisodia and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Earlier, the Delhi Congress had accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party of being “knee-deep in corruption” and submitted a written complaint to Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana, seeking a probe into the liquor policy.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has recently recommended a CBI probe into the policy.
(With PTI Inputs)
NEW DELHI: Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena on Monday fired another salvo against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by forwarding to the state chief secretary a complaint received by him regarding irregularities in award of liquor licences under the new excise policy for 2021-22.
The L-G asked the chief secretary to enquire into the allegations and submit a report to him and the CM within a fortnight.
The complaint includes charges of “cartelisation, facilitating monopolies and favouring blacklisted firms”.
The complainants, including, jurists, lawyers and eminent citizens, claimed that the Kejriwal government had indulged in “deliberate and premeditated violation of the New Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22”.
“The Lt Governor has forwarded a complaint by an eminent organisation of jurists, lawyers and eminent citizens, prima facie establishing grave irregularities in award of liquor licences, to the Chief Secretary for verification and enquiry, and asked him submit a report to him and the chief minister within a fortnight,” a source said.
“The complaint that alleges cartelisation, facilitating monopolies and favoring blacklisted firms, brings out that the same was done in deliberate and premeditated violation of the new Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. The LG will take appropriate action as per law on the basis of the report,” he added.
The LG had last week recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities related to the Excise Policy 2021-22 of the Kejriwal government.
Raj Niwas sources said “the L-G will take appropriate action as per law after receiving the chief secretary’s report”.
Raj Niwas withheld the names of the complainants to protect them from harassment.
Acknowledging the fresh enquiry, the AAP government said in a statement: “We welcome any enquiry or investigation into the matter. We know there are no truths to the claims. Delhi government will continue working for the welfare of the public unhindered.”
Among the specific charges levelled in the complaint to the L-G is the award of retail licence to liquor manufacturers and wholesalers.
Under the Excise policy 2021-22, implemented in November 2021, licenses for 849 retail liquor stores were given through open bidding.
The city was divided into 32 zones and each bidder was allowed to have a maximum two zonal licenses.
The sources alleged “corruption” in awarding zonal licences in violation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.
“Clause 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 of the New Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 prohibit emergence of monopolies and cartel in liquor business and that no entity shall be allotted more than two zones.
However, in complete violation of these clauses, two entities of a company were awarded zonal retail licenses for zone 32 and zones 4 and 23,” they claimed citing the complaint.
The clauses also prohibit bidding by any company/party which has any manufacturing facilities directly or through any sister concern, the sources said.
However, the company which is engaged in manufacturing of liquor was given zonal licenses, they claimed.
Also, two companies acted as a cartel to get zonal licenses, they said.
There were also firms, including one in Madhya Pradesh, that were blacklisted by the state’s excise department for evasion of excise duty, that got licenses, the sources said citing the complaint.
Complaint names firms in the nexus
Manufacturers, wholesalers and other businesses pooled resources to bag multiple licenses thus acting as a cartel. Names of firms in the cartel are part of the complaint.
Opposition protests against Kejriwal government
Delhi BJP leaders and workers on Monday staged a demonstration near the Aam Aadmi Party office here.
The protesters assembled near the ITO crossing and tried to march towards the AAP’s DDU Marg office but were stopped by police.
Those who jumped the barricades put up by the police were detained, BJP leaders said.
The Excise Policy 2021-22 of the Delhi government has come under the scanner with Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommending a CBI probe into alleged violation of rules and procedural lapses in its implementation.
Demanding action against Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the excise portfolio, the protesters claimed that there was a “scam” in the implementation of the policy.
“We have come here to protest and demand the sacking of Sisodia, as well as another minister of Kejriwal government Satyendar Jain, who is currently in jail in a money laundering case,” said Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta.
For the first time in history, a minister has been jailed but is yet to be removed from the government, and this shows the “shamelessness” of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, he said.
Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, BJP state general secretaries Kuljeet Chahal and Dinesh Pratap Singh, party vice president Ashok Goel Devraha and many other leaders took part in the demonstration.
Bidhuri claimed that the Kejriwal government pushed the youth of the city towards alcoholism by increasing the number of liquor stores to 849.
The Delhi Congress on Monday said it staged a protest outside Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s residence here.
Leaders and workers of the party gathered in Patparganj holding banners and raised slogans against Sisodia and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Earlier, the Delhi Congress had accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party of being “knee-deep in corruption” and submitted a written complaint to Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana, seeking a probe into the liquor policy.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has recently recommended a CBI probe into the policy.
(With PTI Inputs)
