“The new policy was implemented in 2021. But the implementation was stopped by some people in power to benefit a select few. I have written to the CBI, urging them to probe how and why this happened.”
Staff Reporter
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia today accused former lieutenant governor Anil Baijal of changing his stand over opening liquor vends in unauthorised areas and claimed that it led to a loss of thousands of crores of rupees to the city government.
At a press conference here, Sisodia said he has sent the details of the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and asserted that there should be a probe into it.
“Under the new excise policy, 849 shops were to be opened across Delhi, including in unauthorised areas. The LG did not object to the proposal and approved it,” Sisodia said.
However, on November 15 last year, two days before the implementation of the policy, the LG changed his stand and introduced a condition that permission from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) would be needed for opening liquor shops in unauthorised areas, he alleged.
The Delhi excise policy has emerged as a flashpoint between the AAP and the BJP-ruled central government. Before Sisodia, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena had written to the central probe agency, recommending a probe into the liquor policy that was cleared by the Aam Aadmi Party government last year. The policy amid the row was then put on hold but given a temporary extension for one month.
“The new policy was implemented in 2021. But the implementation was stopped by some people in power to benefit a select few. I have written to the CBI, urging them to probe how and why this happened.”