New Delhi [India], February 25: Following the presentation of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on Delhi’s excise policy in the Delhi Assembly, Leader of Opposition and AAP leader Atishi defended the Arvind Kejriwal-led government’s handling of the issue, stating that the report merely highlighted the flaws of the old excise policy—flaws that the AAP government had already exposed.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Atishi pointed out that the report had covered the excise policy from 2017-21, which was in place under the previous government, and noted that the current AAP-led administration had already recognized and addressed these issues by implementing a new excise policy. She said, “The excise audit report was presented today, and its seven chapters focus on the excise policy from 2017-21, while one chapter discusses the new excise policy. The AAP government had already exposed the flaws and corruption under the old policy to the people of Delhi.”
Atishi further alleged that the previous policy had allowed liquor to be illegally sourced from neighboring states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, which resulted in significant financial losses for Delhi. She emphasized that the CAG report only confirmed these allegations, reiterating that the AAP government’s decision to move away from the old excise policy was the right one.
“This report confirms what we had been saying. Under the old policy, liquor was being illegally sourced from Haryana and UP, and the people of Delhi were suffering financial losses. It makes it clear that the AAP government made the correct decision by scrapping the old policy,” Atishi stated.
Additionally, Atishi highlighted that the CAG report also pointed to corruption in the sale of liquor, with contractors allegedly inflating costs to make improper profits. She said, “The report reveals that more than 28 percent of the corruption was conducted by contractors, with the profits going into the pockets of brokers. The report also confirms the presence of black marketing of liquor, and it was common knowledge which party had the liquor contracts.”
The CAG report, tabled by the BJP-led Delhi government, covers a period from 2017 to 2021, during which the audit found discrepancies in how the Excise Department regulated and monitored liquor supply. The report also stated that the state government suffered losses exceeding Rs 2,000 crore due to the policies in place during the 2021-2022 excise policy.
As the political debate continues, Atishi’s defense of the AAP government’s stance on the excise policy adds a layer of complexity to ongoing discussions on governance and accountability in Delhi.