The BJP on Wednesday alleged that the Arvind Kejriwal Government handed out tenders to blacklisted companies in lieu of huge amounts of funding for the Punjab Assembly polls. Addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is the “kingpin” of the liquor policy “scam”, but he did not sign a single file in an attempt to escape investigation.
Patra said the Delhi Government handed over wholesale liquor business to private players despite the expert panel recommending against it. Patra alleged that Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia gave wholesale work to private players without tender or public notice.
“The AAP Government has ignored recommendations of an expert panel set up to reform liquor trade in the Capital and gave licences to companies that paid ‘hefty commissions’ to the AAP leaders,” said Patra.
“Manish (Sisodia) ji, you may be the world’s best Education Minister, but you should immediately convene a press conference and answer what were you doing in your capacity as the Excise
Minister?
“Before the implementation of the new excise policy, a three-member committee was constituted which submitted a report in March 2020. It was suggested in that report that the Government should keep the wholesale work with itself while the retail work should be given to the individual on the basis of the lottery system instead of giving it to the big company,” said Patra.
Patra also alleged that it was clearly stated in the suggestion that if the tender is given to big companies, then there will be loss, but despite that Sisodia did just that.
“Not only retail work was given to big companies but by including the manufacturer in retail, he (Sisodia) increased the commission by 10 per cent so that big money could be earned.
The one who gave huge amount for Punjab elections was given tenders, bypassing the rules and reports, even if it was a blacklisted company,” said Patra.
“Before this policy was withdrawn, 19 companies of five zones had surrendered citing the loss in the contract of liquor, but instead of giving that zone to others, Sisodia continued with the same companies so that big money could come from them,” he added.
He also said the city Government allowed cartelisation in liquor business by giving multiple retail licenses to big companies.
Asked about the AAP’s claim that the BJP tried to bribe four of its legislators in Delhi, Patra said: “They may have got such offers from liquor mafia. Why don’t they tell the names of persons who approached them?”
Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta, who also addressed the joint press conference, said the AAP has failed to give direct and specific answers to questions posed by his party.
“Kejriwal Government kept advocating such a liquor policy which only worked to destroy the homes of the people. The hard work done by Sisodia to make the youth of Delhi addicted to liquor and thereby fill his own pocket, the result of that has now come to an end. “Today his entire Government is not able to answer even one question on corruption done in the excise policy,” said Gupta. Delhi BJP president further said that Sisodia has only served lies and lies since the implementation of this excise policy till its withdrawal.
“First of all, before implementing the excise policy, he claimed the benefit of crores of rupees as revenue from this. He had then said in the assembly that there are 100 wards of Delhi where liquor joints will not be opened. After that, when the news of corruption came in it and the investigation started, it was said that this policy is not good, so it had to be withdrawn. It only means Sisodia did not back down from strangling innocent people just for his own benefit, he charged.