New Delhi, Aug 2 (FN Agency) BJP on Tuesday slammed the Kejriwal government over the news excise policy and alleged after the introduction of the new excise policy, there has been a loss of about Rs 2,151 crore. Citing a cabinet note in a press conference here at state party headquarters, Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta said that Kejriwal claimed on July 30 that Rs 3,000 crore more revenue has come from the new excise policy. But the truth is that on July 31, the cabinet note of the Delhi government is telling that the revenue has come down drastically after the new excise policy of the Delhi government”.
“The new Excise Policy 2021-22 of Delhi government was unable to meet its target of boosting revenue due to various reasons including surrender of licenses by retailers and wholesalers” he said. According to sources the first quarter revenue in current fiscal year 2022-23 was Rs 1,485 crore which is 37.51 percent less than the budget estimates of Rs 2,375 crore. A cabinet note of Delhi government sent for approval of LG to withdraw the new Excise Policy 2021-22.Gupta said that the Kejriwal government has wrongly allotted the contracts to liquor mafia and rules were flouted.
This in itself is an explanation that the Delhi government was under pressure from the liquor mafia. Leader of Opposition in Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri who was also present in the press conference alleged that AAP has used this money for the Punjab election. He said according to government records, in the first quarter of 2022-23, the Delhi government was supposed to get revenue of Rs 2,375 crore, but only Rs 505 crore has come in revenue.Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on last Saturday had announced the government’s decision to withdraw the Excise Policy 2021-22 and revert to the old excise policy regime and running liquor vends through its agencies for the next six months from September 1.