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Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on August 6 said that there was “corruption” in a change in decision by the Central government appointed Lieutenant Governor’s office in November on the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.
Mr. Sisodia said he has written to the CBI to investigate the matter and also alleged the role of the BJP leaders in the alleged corruption.
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Only Delhi government liquor venders to sell alcohol from August: Sisodia
Interestingly, on July 22, the current Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the same policy. Following this, last month the Delhi government had announced that they are ending the policy and later extended it till August 31. The policy was supposed to expire by July 31.
On Saturday, Mr. Sisodia said the Delhi government lost thousands of crores of rupees due to this change in decision by then LG.
“Under the policy, it was said that liquor vends will open in unauthorised colonies also and there was no opposition [from the LG] and it was passed. On November 15, two days before vends were supposed to open, LG put a new condition that to open liquor vends in unauthorised colonies, there should be permission from DDA (Delhi Development Authority) and MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) (both not under the control of the AAP government),” Mr. Sisodia said.
Also Read | L-G orders probe into liquor licence ‘graft’
He said that due to this people whose shops were opened in authorised colonies benefitted and whose shops were not opened, as they were in unauthorised colonies, lost crores of rupees.
“There should be an investigation on whether the LG took the decision on his own or under pressure from someone and who all benefited from this. I have written to the CBI,” Mr. Sisodia said.