Punjab: SAD exposes Rs 200-crore liquor scam
Chandigarh, April 7: On Friday, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) exposed the Rs 200-crore liquor scam in the Punjab Excise Department and demanded a CBI probe into the fraud and arrest of all guilty on the same pattern as followed in Delhi.
While 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 further 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.
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”.
- With inputs from agencies
