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CHANDIGARH: Punjab‘s AAP government first put up and then pulled online forms on Monday for renewal of a contentious excise policy patterned on Delhi’s, a day after deputy CM Manish Sisodia‘s arrest over alleged corruption in the now-scrapped policy.
Punjab’s current policy has faced heavy criticism from the opposition, which has accused the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government of framing it to push out local traders and create a monopoly of outsiders at the instance of the party leadership in Delhi.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia demanded that the CBI probe into the Delhi excise policy scam be extended to Punjab, claimed Sisodia was its “architect” and said it had cost the exchequer hundreds of crores in losses.
The flip-flop unfolded on government portal excise.punjab.gov.in where a set of renewal forms were visible for a while Monday before being removed. A senior official claimed the set was uploaded by “mistake” and taken down later.
The forms included those “for renewal of retail (liquor) licence for 2023-2024, checklist for renewal, form-M-75 and affidavit under order 7 of Punjab Intoxicants License and Sales Orders, 1956”.
While no conditions for renewal of licences were mentioned in the forms, the content seemed to suggest the Mann government planned to renew the existing policy. Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema said no decision had been taken yet and the government was in the process of finalising the policy.
Extending such a policy is not new and previous governments in Punjab have done it. But this time, a trader warned the Mann government against it. “Renewal of excise policy in its current form will receive a pushback from the licensees who have suffered heavy losses this year,” said the trader.
Claiming large scale corruption in the policy, Majithia claimed that the entire liquor trade in Punjab had been handed over to two firms and their profit margin doubled to facilitate a “quid pro quo”.
Punjab’s current policy has faced heavy criticism from the opposition, which has accused the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government of framing it to push out local traders and create a monopoly of outsiders at the instance of the party leadership in Delhi.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia demanded that the CBI probe into the Delhi excise policy scam be extended to Punjab, claimed Sisodia was its “architect” and said it had cost the exchequer hundreds of crores in losses.
The flip-flop unfolded on government portal excise.punjab.gov.in where a set of renewal forms were visible for a while Monday before being removed. A senior official claimed the set was uploaded by “mistake” and taken down later.
The forms included those “for renewal of retail (liquor) licence for 2023-2024, checklist for renewal, form-M-75 and affidavit under order 7 of Punjab Intoxicants License and Sales Orders, 1956”.
While no conditions for renewal of licences were mentioned in the forms, the content seemed to suggest the Mann government planned to renew the existing policy. Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema said no decision had been taken yet and the government was in the process of finalising the policy.
Extending such a policy is not new and previous governments in Punjab have done it. But this time, a trader warned the Mann government against it. “Renewal of excise policy in its current form will receive a pushback from the licensees who have suffered heavy losses this year,” said the trader.
Claiming large scale corruption in the policy, Majithia claimed that the entire liquor trade in Punjab had been handed over to two firms and their profit margin doubled to facilitate a “quid pro quo”.
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