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The BJP government in Delhi, led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, on Tuesday tabled the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the Delhi Excise Policy in the Assembly.
The 'Performance Audit on Regulation and Supply of Liquor in Delhi' covers four years from 2017-18 to 2020-21, examining the regulation and supply of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and Foreign Liquor in the capital. As the report was presented, BJP leaders hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), accusing it of attempting to disrupt the Assembly proceedings out of fear of the findings. BJP leader Arvinder Singh Lovely said, "They attempted to disrupt the House by insisting that the CAG report be tabled. However, the Speaker had to remove them. We wanted the opposition to stay and have a direct dialogue, but they are so afraid of the CAG report that they are running away from it. They fear the consequences, including jail time. That's why Baba Saheb is being used as a shield." BJP MLA Ajay Mahawar also targeted AAP, alleging that it had violated democratic values. "AAP has gone against the principles of Babasaheb. To avoid accountability and create a commotion, they even built an exit corridor. The entire situation was just an attempt to disrupt proceedings. So far, only one volume of the report has been tabled, but there are fourteen volumes in total," he said. The report is one of the 14 pending CAG reports on the previous Aam Aami Party government's performance. According to the report tabled today, the audit observed several discrepancies in the way the Excise Department monitored and regulated the supply of liquor in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. It showed that the state government suffered cumulative losses of more than Rs 2,000 crore due to the 2021-2022 excise policy. The working of the Excise Department raises several questions about the way the Department is fulfilling its responsibility. The total financial implication of the audit findings is approximately Rs 2,026.91 crore, as per an overview of the report. The audit observed that the Department could not ensure the implementation of Rule 35 of Delhi Excise Rules, 2010, which prohibits the issue of multiple licenses of Performance Audit on Regulation and Supply of Liquor in Delhi - different categories (Wholesaler, Retailer, HCR etc.) - to related parties, leading to the existence of common directorship among entities holding various License Types. (ANI)
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