Akali Dal exposes Rs 200-crore liquor scam in Punjab

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday exposed a Rs 200-crore liquor scam in the Excise Department in Punjab and demanded a CBI probe into the fraud and arrest of all guilty on the same pattern as followed in Delhi.

Exposing the fraud here, senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithja also accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Finance Minister Harpal Cheema of lying while claiming a 41 per cent increase in the Excise revenue while asserting that the increase was only 10.26 per cent.

Giving details, Majithia released documents to the media approved by the Cabinet, including the report of a group of ministers, to expose the Rs 200-crore scam.

He released a document from the Excise Commissioner who formed a committee to analyse gaps and lacunae in the current excise policy.

He said the note also stated that the transfer of rebate benefit from manufacturer to retailer via L-1 was not given to the retailer and that L-1 holders were misusing their monopolistic position to dictate terms to retailers.

Asserting that the committee report as well as that of the Group of Ministers was a cover-up exercise, Majithia said "after collecting Rs 28 crore from L-1 holders last year, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has increased projected deposits Rs 150 crore for this year. This has happened due to the crackdown in Delhi which has led to the arrest of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia who is also the architect of the Punjab excise policy".

"Now suddenly, the AAP government had realised in its own words that there should be a rationale while deciding the margin of L-1 holders backed by sound economic principles."

Asserting that all this was being done to evade cases and arrests, Majithia said the AAP government and its officials could not escape responsibility for the loot of the state exchequer last year.

He said the loot was at least around Rs 200 crore and should be thoroughly investigated.

He also disclosed how two of the main liquor contractors in Punjab -- Aman Dhall and Tushar Chopra -- were already under investigation for excise theft in Delhi with Dhall even being behind bars.

Holding the Chief Minister directly responsible for this state of affairs, Majithia said the CM had followed the dictate of the AAP high command and reduced the number of L-1 licensees from 74 to seven.

He said this not only created a monopoly but the increase in profit from five per cent to 10 per cent had resulted in huge profits for L-1 holders who in turn did not give anything in return to the state.

"It is obvious that kickbacks were paid to AAP functionaries to the detriment of the state," he alleged.