New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) circulated a notification in which they announced that the government will allow private shops to sell liquor for two more months provided they deposit the requisite license fee from August 1st.
The circular further notified that the licensees who are willing to avail the extension can do so by submitting a two-month fee advance by August 4. With this extension, the private liquor stores can sell till September 30.
Earlier, the AAP party decided to conduct an auction and allow private shops to sell liquor. While the BJP alleged massive corruption in the implementation of the liquor policy, the AAP hit back claiming that the opposition party wanted to encourage illegal and spurious trade.
After a major political hit back against the AAP government, the party decided to withdraw the policy. The rollback was ordered after Delhi LG recommended a CBI probe into the alleged violation in the implementation of the new policy.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia who also heads the excise department claimed that the government brought in a new policy to curb graft but the central agencies were used to threaten shopkeepers as well as state officials.
The excise policy was passed in chief minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Cabinet in the middle of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.
The Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) is also conducting a probe into the matter. There has also been a face-off between Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and the Delhi government’s top brass over the new liquor policy.
(With Agency Inputs)