Accusing former Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal of creating a mess in the new excise policy, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has written to the Central Bureau of Investigation seeking a probe against the former as to why he changed his stand on the opening of liquor shops in unauthorised colonies just 48 hours before the launch of the policy.
Sisodia claimed that the sudden change in the then LG’s stand led to “thousands of crores” of losses to the Government exchequer as close to 300-350 liquor shops that were supposed to open in unauthorised colonies could not be opened.
Addressing a Press conference here at his Mathura Road residence, Sisodia said he has sent the details of the matter to the CBI and asserted that there should be a probe into it.
“Delhi Lieutenant Governor made changes in the new excise policy two days before shops were to open so he could extend special favours to a few liquor traders.
“The CBI should also find out if the decision was taken independently and without his pressure or coercion. I am fully optimistic that the CBI will investigate this matter fairly,” he said.
This is the first time that the AAP Government has acknowledged that it has incurred losses worth “thousands of crores” of rupees under the new excise policy.
But blamed it squarely on the LG, who he alleged “made a U-turn at the last moment” before implementing the new regime from November 17, 2021.
Baijal was the Delhi LG when the Arvind Kejriwal government prepared the new excise policy, which was implemented on November 17, 2021. No immediate reaction was available from Baijal.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the file on the 2021-22 excise policy went to the LG twice before getting implemented. “In the first instance, the then LG Anil Baijal sent back the file with certain suggestions and changes, which was then incorporated by the Delhi Government. The file, after making the necessary changes as suggested by the LG, was sent for a second time in November first week. The new policy was to be implemented from November 17 and the LG returned the file on November 15, just 48 hours before the launch, asking us to make major changes to it,” Sisodia said.
“Under the new excise policy, 849 shops were to be opened across Delhi, including in unauthorised areas. The LG did not object to the proposal and approved it,” said Sisodia adding that just before 48 hours before the launch of the policy, the LG directed that the State Government need to get permission from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for permitting liquor shops in unauthorised colonies.
Sisodia said the suggestion to consult the DDA for opening liquor vends in unauthorised colonies was not mentioned by the LG in his previous remarks on the actual excise policy of 2021-22. It was only when the file pertaining to opening liquor shops after completion of the tender and allotment of licenses to vendors went to the LG that he raised this new objection at the last moment. “As a result of this change of stand by the LG, as close to 300-350 shops that were to open in unauthorised colonies, could not be opened, leading to a loss of revenue of thousands of crores to the government. On the other hand, the shops that opened witnessed a huge income,” the Deputy Chief Minister said. “As a result, the few companies who managed to open liquor shops in Delhi earned huge profits, while others suffered. The primary aim of the new excise policy was to put an end to the inequitable distribution of liquor shops, which could never be achieved because of the decision of the LG,” Sisodia said, alleging that the L-G’s “sudden change in stance” could have been intentional in order to benefit certain private companies or individuals. Sisodia said it should also be probed why Baijal changed his stand that benefited some players and caused financial losses to the Government. It should also be probed if the former LG took the decision under pressure and whether any Bharatiya Janata (BJP) leader had anything to do with it, he added.
