JOIN USIt's L-G vs Delhi government again as liquor policy comes under lens
Delhi LG V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe into Kejriwal government's Excise Policy, 2021-22, over alleged violations of rules and procedural lapses, officials said on Friday.
The CBI inquiry was recommended on Delhi Chief Secretary's report filed earlier this month, showing prima facie violations of GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009 and Delhi Excise Rules-2010, they said.
Apart from this there were also "deliberate and gross procedural lapses" to provide post tender "undue benefits to liquor licensees", said the officials.
The new Excise policy 2021-22 was implemented from November 17 last year under which retail licences were given to private bidders for 849 vends across the city divided into 32 zones.
Many liquor stores failed to open for being located in non-confirming areas of the city. Several such vends were sealed by the municipal corporations, they said.
The BJP and Congress had vociferously opposed the policy and lodged complaint with the LG as well as central agencies for a probe into it.
Reacting to the development, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the Centre is threatened by CM Kejriwal's growing reputation across country. "We'd been saying, especially after Punjab win, that BJP central government is scared of us. Several enquiries will be launched in days to come," Bharadwaj said.
He further added that the AAP had been saying the 2016 situation would return. "Enquiries by CBI, income tax, ED would be launched to stop us. They are trying all means to hinder our work. They had been after Deputy CM Manish Sisodia after our Health Minister Satyendar Jain," he said.
The recommendation comes a day after Saxena advised Kejriwal not to attend the summit in Singapore as the conference would be covering different aspects of urban governance, addressed by diverse bodies like the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi Development Authority, apart from the city government. Following which, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to the Ministry of External Affairs seeking its nod to visit Singapore to take part in World Cities Summit.
(With inputs from PTI)