AAP ignored excise policy violations, expert committee recommendations: BJP

BJP stepped up attack on the AAP, claiming its government in Delhi ignored the violations of the excise policy and recommendations of an expert committee

The BJP on Tuesday stepped up attack on the AAP, claiming its government in Delhi ignored the violations of the excise policy and recommendations of an expert committee.

According to the Delhi Excise Policy, producers, retailers and distributors of liquor cannot be the same. Also, there cannot be common directors or shareholders, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said.

On October 25, 2021, the Delhi excise department had brought some cases of common producers, retailers and distributors to the notice of the government, but it did not act on it, he claimed.

BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma said an expert committee had suggested against promotions to push liquor sales but the Delhi govt started giving a carton free on every carton sold.

The committee had suggested to follow the Karnataka model wherein the government is responsible for wholesale business. The panel said no individual can be given more than one license.

It had also recommended against opening liquor vends in non-conforming areas like villages and colonies without commercial markets. But the government ignored all these suggestions, he alleged.