AAP govt ignored panel recommendation, caused ₹900 cr loss in excise policy: BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) keeps changing the goalpost every time the BJP asks them tough questions
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said that important recommendations of the committee constituted by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government were not incorporated in the new excise policy while one key provision of the policy was not implemented resulting in a loss of at least ₹900 crore to the exchequer. The BJP also refuted Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia’s claim that the party has offered to withdraw all cases against him if he quits AAP and joins them.
BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy, who is “accused number one in the liquor policy scam”, keep changing the goalpost every time the BJP asks them tough questions. Bhatia said that the BJP is a “respected family” and has no place for “corrupt people”.
Addressing a press conference, Bhatia said that the committee recommended that wholesale distribution should be kept with the government, retail vending should be given based on a new lottery system to ensure transparency in the process and make provision for a 10% increase in licence fees at the time of renewal.
“But the committee’s recommendations regarding the wholesale and lottery system were not incorporated in the policy. Arvind Kejriwal and Sisodia are the first chief minister and deputy CM in the country who don’t trust government agencies. The wholesale distribution (L1) was given to private players despite the committee’s recommendation causing a loss to the exchequer,” said Bhatia.
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Instead of a lottery system for retail vends for 32 zones, Bhatia said, “They selected 16 companies and gave them two zones each. They even gave a waiver of ₹144 crore on licence fee and waived off the earnest money deposit of a firm worth ₹30 crore,” said Bhatia.
The BJP said that the government incorporated the provision of 10% increase in licence fee at the time of renewal. “But it was not taken, which resulted in a loss of at least ₹900 crore to the exchequer….Every time we ask them tough questions, they keep changing the goal post. We are giving them 24 hours to answer our question,” said Bhatia.
The BJP said that the AAP-led Delhi government has no explanation for the increase in commission from 2% to 12% or why no public notice for consultation was issued before the implementation of the policy.
Accusing the chief minister and deputy chief minister of working to benefit the liquor companies and fill its party coffer, BJP MP from South Delhi Ramesh Bidhuri said, “Kejriwal and Sisodia are trying to divert public attention from the liquor scam. They have held meetings with liquor firms and made provisions to benefit them. The meetings were held in a hotel in Delhi. If this is not true, then they should say that they don’t know Vijay Nair, Arjun Pandey etc and that Sisodia never went to the hotel.
