Manish Sisodia helped liquor lobby bypassing Cabinet, L-G: Delhi chief secretary's report

In his report, the chief secretary has pointed out several unilateral decisions taken by Sisodia and the excise department headed by him that resulted in huge financial losses to the exchequer.
Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia. (Photo | PTI)
Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia. (Photo | PTI)

NEW DELHI: The Delhi chief secretary, who is also the state’s chief vigilance officer, has informed Lt-Governor V K Saxena that the records concerning implementation of new Excise Policy 2021-22 reveal that deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia took decisions without the approval of the Cabinet or the L-G that resulted in windfall gains to the licensees and caused revenue loss to the government.

The L-G had asked the chief secretary to probe allegations against the AAP government that it had extended wrongful gains to liquor licensees.

In his report, the chief secretary has pointed out several unilateral decisions taken by Sisodia and the excise department headed by him that resulted in huge financial losses to the exchequer. The decisions that Sisodia is alleged to have taken without seeking the required approval of the Cabinet and the L-G include “removal of import pass fee” on beer and “revising the calculation of rates on foreign liquor”.

“Officers of the excise department neither took approval of the Council of Ministers nor opinion of the Hon’ble L-G before issuing the order dated 08-11-2021 for revising the formula of calculation of rates of foreign liquor and removal of levying of import pass fee @`50 per case on beer. It is observed by undertaking such reduction in the wholesale price, the input cost of beer and foreign liquor to the retail licensees (L7Z) was reduced,” the report said.

The report adds that “had such financial implications of proposed changes for reduced cost of beer and foreign liquor been available with the bidders (thus reducing their input cost), they would have quoted higher licence fee payable to the Government... the department decided to extend this undue favour to the retail L7Z licensees.”

The second allegation made in the report against Sisodia is that he reduced the number of dry days from 21 days in calendar year 2021 to three in 2022. “It is observed that the department has reduced number of dry days from 21 days in calendar year 2021 to 03 days in 2022, without taking approval of the Council of Ministers and without taking opinion of the Hon’ble L-G.”

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