The Delhi Congress on Wednesday called for the formation of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) soon, so that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's excise policy can be investigated, and demanded that the scope of the probe be widened to include the alleged involvement of BJP leaders in the matter.
The Opposition party also demanded that the remaining 13 CAG reports on the AAP government's performance be tabled as well and discussed in the public domain. The CAG report on the 2021-22 liquor excise policy was tabled by the new Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on the second day of the first session of the newly elected Delhi Assembly on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference at the Congress' 24, Akbar Road headquarters, Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav said the party had given a written complaint to investigating agencies on the liquor excise policy and had included "evidence" of BJP's "involvement" in the matter.
He also asked why all 14 CAG reports were not presented in the House on Tuesday. The Delhi Assembly session has been extended till March 3.
"We want the CAG report to be investigated by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). In such a situation, PAC should be formed as soon as possible, so that this report can be investigated and those who were involved in the loot should be punished," Yadav said.
Although the PAC is chaired by an Opposition leader, in Delhi, the government has been leading it, therefore these reports should also be brought for public discussion, Yadav said.
Yadav alleged there are some important questions related to the role of some big BJP leaders and the then Lieutenant Governor, which were ignored in the CAG report.
"Why and who took the decision to change three excise directors within one year? New brands of liquor were promoted in Delhi. This should be investigated. The then governor had given permission to implement the liquor policy of the Kejriwal government. Why has no investigation been done on this till date?" Yadav asked.
There is a need to investigate how licenses were given to open liquor shops in violation of the master plan, he further said. Yadav further claimed that without the permission of the municipal corporation, liquor shops cannot be opened, and added that the BJP was ruling the MCD at the time.
But the BJP allowed the Delhi government to open liquor shops even in non-conforming areas, he alleged. "The CAG report can be described in three words - loot, jhooth (lies) and phoot (division)," Yadav said. "The CAG report has revealed that the money of the people of Delhi was looted. The AAP government kept saying that we are increasing the government's revenue, but the truth is `2002 Crore was looted," Yadav claimed. Advice of an expert committee was also ignored, he added.
The Delhi Congress chief claimed it is the result of the divisions between the AAP and the BJP that the CAG report is not being discussed in the Assembly.
Putting forward the Congress' demands, Yadav said the scope of investigation into "the liquor scam" should be widened and there should be an investigation on the written complaint given by the Congress against the BJP. "There should be a public forum discussion on the lies being told on the liquor scam."
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, also addressing the press conference, said the CAG report revealed that the objective of the liquor policy was changed repeatedly.
"Earlier, it included 77 entities but it was reduced to 14. These 14 organisations are interconnected. Some come from parts of the country where politicians and their family members maintain relations with the AAP government," he said. Details of this liquor policy were discussed eight-nine months before the policy was made, Dikshit pointed out.
"Many officials were saying that the matter got discussed because the policy was made due to the relations between the government and liquor contractors and their own interests. There should be a separate investigation in this matter," Dikshit said.
According to a CAG report tabled in the assembly on Tuesday by new Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the Delhi government suffered cumulative losses of over `2,000 Crore due to the 2021-2022 excise policy for reasons ranging from weak policy framework to deficient implementation. The report, one of 14 on the previous AAP government's performance, was tabled by Gupta. The 208-page report includes annexures flagging violations in the process of issuing licences, and recommendations of an expert panel formed to suggest changes that were ignored by then deputy chief minister and excise minister Manish Sisodia.
Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta said the document will be referred to the Public Accounts Committee(PAC) of the House, which is yet to be formed.
