Haryana Excise Department collected nearly Rs 75 crore as ''COVID Cess'' on liquor sales during the three-month period beginning mid-May, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said here on Thursday.
In the first three months of the Excise Policy of the state for 2020-21 which came into effect in mid-May in view of the COVID-19 lockdown imposed earlier, Rs 262.98 crore more was collected as excise duty in comparison to the first quarter of last year, he said. Chautala also holds the Excise and Taxation Department of the state.
The state government had in May decided to impose a "COVID cess" on all types of liquor: Rs 5 per quart in case of country liquor, Rs. 20 per quart for Indian-made Foreign liquor (IMFL), Rs 5 in case of strong beer and Rs 2 in case of other beer and Rs 50 per pack greater than 375 ml in case of Imported Foreign Liquor (IFL). The deputy chief minister said the Excise Department recorded its highest revenue collection despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"In the 2020-21 Excise Policy''s first quarter, Rs 262.98 crore additional excise duty has been collected in comparison to last year''s corresponding quarter," he told reporters here.
Reacting to allegations of a liquor scam being levelled by the opposition, Chautala said had there been a scam, the Excise Department would not have made such a high revenue collection. "This reflects that there is no scam", he said.
Chautala said GPS tracking system would be installed in vehicles coming out of the distilleries in the state, and a committee has been constituted for this purpose. The committee is also observing the practices in other states, he added.
He informed that the process of installation of CCTV cameras is in the final stages and by the end of September, all distilleries will have these cameras.
Excise and taxation officials of districts that have distilleries have been directed to visit these units and check the cameras every 15 days.
Chautala said an inquiry was being conducted against officials who issued liquor permits and passes from March 27 to March 31 during the lockdown. Action will be taken against those found guilty as soon as the investigation is completed, he said.
VIGILANCE DEPTT WOULD CONDUCT INQUIRY INTO THE FINDINGS OF SET ON LIQUOR SCAM, SAYS VIJ
Soon after Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala gave a clean chit to his Excise and Taxation Department indicted in the SET report on the “liquor scam” saying that the Department recorded highest revenue collection as during COVID-19, which reflects that there is no scam, Home Minister Anij Vij said that State Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar who has undergoing Corona treatment in a private hospital in Gurugram, on Thursday approved recommendation of vigilance inquiry into findings of SET on liquor scam.
Vij said that on the direction of the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora has sought an explanation from Excise and Taxation Commissioner Shekhar Vidyarthi following the observation made by the SET. Chief Secretary also asked the Home Department to take necessary action after seeking explanation of Parteeksha Godara, then SP Sonepat and submit an action taken report to her office.
In addition to this, the Home department was directed to initiate departmental enquiries against the officers of the police department mentioned in the report of SET, he added.
Home Minister said that based on findings of the Special Enquiry Team (SET) on liquor scam, earlier the Home Department had recommended the Chief Minister to order an vigilance inquiry over this matter. CM had approved such recommendation and gave necessary directions to chief secretary regarding the same.
The SET probe panel was headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Power) TC Gupta with Additional Excise and Taxation Commissioner Vijay Singh and Gurugram Commissioner of Police Mohd Akil its members. The scam involves theft of liquor during Covid lockdown from excise godowns in Sonepat.