The claim made by the Delhi Government that the revenue from excise policy increased to Rs 1484 crores in the first quarter of 2022-23 is nothing but a blatant lie as out of total revenue Rs 980 crores are refundable security deposits, according to sources in the Raj Niwas.
“In the last five years between 2017-18 to 2021-22, the Revenue earned by the Delhi Government through liquor sale has come down by a whopping Rs 567.98 crores. Even the Revenue for the first Quarter of 2022-23 has been artificially inflated to Rs 1594.84 by including the ‘Refundable Security Deposit’ to the tune of Rs 980 crores,” sources added.
“The claim that the Delhi Government collected around Rs 400 crores in GST in lieu of the sale of liquor in the first quarter of 2022-23 which can be counted as ‘Revenue’ is a bogus one. GST is a Constitution provision, and that ‘tax’ cannot be counted under the ‘Revenue’ head,” they further added.
“Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s rhetorical, weak and lame defence lacking any substance whatsoever, on the massive mal-practices and scam in the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 involing illegal amendments and implementation for subsequent kick-backs received by the Aam Aadmi Party government is an exercise of hoodwink the people of Delhi,” officials added.
Even as the people of Delhi suffered due to lack of oxygen during the second wave of COVID-19, the self-proclaimed ‘Imaandar Sarkar’ allowed a waiver of Rs. 144.36 Crores singularly to the liquor cartel, on the tendered license fee under the excuse of COVID-19 pandemic.
“With the losses that the restaurant and hotel industry faced during the pandemic, leave apart the poor residents and migrants in the city standing in queues to get one square meal, it would only be justified on their part to demand a Covid compensation from Arvind Kejriwal following the same formula.
After all, he did, for kickbacks, give a waiver of Rs. 144.36 Crores to the liquor mafia through a secret backdoor illegal decision,” they said.
“Only a thorough CBI investigation into the wrongdoings will unearth the entire saga of self-aggrandizement by Minister in-charge, Manish Sisodia and others. The much-touted claim by Aam Aadmi Party leaders that Revenue through the sale of liquor in Delhi has gone up is a white lie. The fact is Revenue has actually gone down,” they added.
Even as AAP leaders consistently favouring the move as beneficial for Delhi’s economy,the fact is, that revenue earned by Delhi government vide the sale of liquor has been decreasing over the years, sources said.