Officials added there were also “deliberate and gross procedural lapses” to provide post tender “undue benefits to liquor licensees”
The basis of the inquiry is Delhi Chief Secretary’s report filed earlier this month, showing prima facie violations of GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009 and Delhi Excise Rules-2010.
The new Excise policy 2021-22 was implemented from November 17 last year under which retail licences were given to private bidders for 849 vends across the city divided into 32 zones.
The BJP and Congress had vociferously opposed the policy and lodged complaint with the LG as well as central agencies for a probe into it. According to officials, many liquor stores failed to open for being located in non-confirming areas of the city. Several such vends were sealed by the municipal corporations, they said.
The Aam Aadmi Party reacted strongly to the development and said that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s “growing reputation across the country, even in Panchayat elections has threatened the centre.” AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “we’d been saying, especially after Punjab win, that BJP central govt is scared of us. Several inquiries will be launched in days to come.”
Bharadwaj added, “we’d been saying the 2016 situation would return, inquiries by CBI, income tax, ED would be launched to stop us. They are trying all means to hinder our work. They had been after Deputy CM Manish Sisodia after our Health Min Satyendar Jain,”.
The recommendation for a CBI probe comes following an official notification earlier this month stating that the Delhi government has extended the licenses of those supplying country liquor in the national capital by a month.
With inputs from PTI
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