CAG dents AAP's 'clean' image: Liquor policy led to `2kcr loss

NT Correspondent

New Delhi: The Delhi government suffered cumulative losses of over Rs 2,000 crore due to the 2021-2022 excise policy for reasons ranging from weak policy framework to deficient implementation, according to a CAG report tabled in the assembly on Tuesday, sparking a fresh showdown between the BJP and the AAP. The report, one of 14 on the previous Aam Aadmi Party government's performance, was tabled by the new Chief Minister Rekha Gupta of the BJP on the very second day of the first session of the newly elected Delhi Assembly.

The 208-page report flagged violations in the process of issuing licences and pointed out that recommendations of an expert panel were ignored by then deputy chief minister and excise minister Manish Sisodia. Sisodia, AAP chief and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and another senior party leader Sanjay Singh were arrested in the cases registered in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam, a hot button issue in the run-up to the recent Delhi Assembly elections which saw the BJP returning to power after more than 27 years. The three leaders are currently out on bail. Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta said the document will be referred to the Public Accounts Committee(PAC) of the House, that is yet to be formed, for looking into it and submit a report.

The report also highlighted how the policy spawned a cocktail of brand pushing and monopolies. The 2021-22 Delhi excise policy created risks of monopolies and brand pushing by an "exclusive arrangement" between a few wholesalers and manufacturers, allowing the distributors to dominate the liquor supply chain with just three of the wholesalers controlling over 71 per cent of total liquor supply chain in the city, it said.

Senior AAP leader Atishi, who is the Leader of Opposition, defended the nowscrapped excise policy. At a news conference. the former chief minister claimed that its previous version according to the CAG report was marred by "corruption and smuggling". All the 21 AAP MLAs including Atishi were absent from the House when the report was tabled. Atishi alleged that the BJP-appointed LG, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) obstructed implementation of the liquor policy, causing an annual revenue loss of Rs 8,900 crore to Delhi.

She said seven out of the eight chapters in the CAG report highlight the shortcomings of the old excise policy, while only one focuses on the new policy. According to the report, certain decisions with revenue implications were taken without having approval of the Cabinet and opinion of the lieutenant governor.

21 AAP MLAs suspended from Assembly over Ambedkar portrait row

Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta Tuesday suspended 21 AAP MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Atishi, for three days for disrupting Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena's inaugural address to the newly constituted House. The suspended MLAs will not be allowed to participate in proceedings on February 27 and 28.As the House proceedings began, Atishi along with other AAP legislators protested against the alleged removal of B R Ambedkar's portrait from the chief minister's office.

The AAP MLAs accused the BJP-led government of disrespecting Ambedkar and raised slogans against the move. Following their suspension, the 21 MLAs staged a protest inside the assembly complex, holding Ambedkar's portraits and chanting slogans such as "Babasaheb ka ye apmaan nahi sahega Hindustan.''