Kumar Bahukhandi
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta while presenting CAG report in the assembly -Photo -PL
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has presented the CAG report in the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday February 25,2025 . The first CAG report is related to the liquor policy. The CAG report states that the Delhi government has suffered a loss of about 2000 crores. In the new liquor policy, earlier one person used to get one license. But in the new policy, one person can get more than two dozen licenses.
Delhi: Today is the second day of the Delhi Assembly session. The proceedings of the House began with the address of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. After this, the Delhi government presented the CAG report. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta presented the CAG report related to the liquor policy in the House. Out of 14 CAG reports, the first CAG report has been presented today.
The new liquor policy has caused a loss of crores to the government
The new liquor policy has caused a loss of about 2000 thousand crores to the Delhi government. Earlier, in the new liquor policy, one person used to get one license. But in the new policy, a person can get more than two dozen licenses. Earlier, 60 percent of the liquor in Delhi was sold by 4 government corporations. But in the new liquor policy, any private company can take a retail license. The commission for liquor sales has been increased from 5 percent to 12 percent.
The old government committed many violations in the new liquor policy
The CAG report states that wholesale licenses were also given to liquor distributors and liquor manufacturing companies, which was a violation. In the policy, any private company can take a retail license. No financial or criminal investigation was done before granting the license. An investment of Rs 100 crore was required for Liquor Join. But this was abolished in the new policy. The CAG report revealed that there was political interference and nepotism in granting liquor licenses.
According to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), the Excise Policy of 2021-2022 led to a loss of more than Rs 2000 crore. The recommendations of an expert committee formed to suggest changes in the formulation of the now defunct liquor policy were ignored by the then Deputy Chief Minister and Excise Minister Manish Sisodia. The report claims a revenue loss of Rs 941.53 crore. Permission was not taken in time to open liquor shops in non-conforming municipal wards. About Rs 890.15 crore was lost as license fees. Irregular grant exemptions to licensees resulted in a loss of revenue of Rs 144 crore. Top AAP leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, spent months in jail after being arrested by investigating agencies in the case. Exempted from paying license fees. License fees of Rs 114.50 crore were exempted. This proposal was rejected by the minister in charge of the department. It was approved to give exemption to each regional licensee for closed shops during the period from 28 December 2021 to 27 January 2022.
Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta’s comment on CAG report
Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta said about the CAG report that the Delhi High Court had made very serious comments about the CAG report. Negligence was shown in presenting the CAG report. The CAG report was deliberately withheld by the previous government. The report was not sent to the Lieutenant Governor in time. A report has been presented today. There are many reports. I want the CAG report of every department to be presented.
What did Arvinder Singh Lovely say during the discussion in the assembly
Speaking in the assembly, BJP MLA Arvinder Singh Lovely said that I have been a part of the Congress party for a long time. I have also been a minister in the Delhi government. Did Bhagat Singh say that you should go to jail for committing liquor scams? Do scams in schools, do scams in health. The Chief Minister of the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab made him the minister of a department which does not even exist.
