The revolt against the CS from Congress ranks started even as CM Amarinder Singh signed the order amending the Excise Policy while leaving out the contentious part of the policy. (File)
A day after Punjab government divested Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh of additional charge of the Excise and Taxation Department, over a dozen party leaders, including a Cabinet minister, advisers to the CM, MLAs and even the PPCC president, demanded the CS’s removal from his post. Karan Avtar Singh is due to retire in August.
The revolt against the CS from Congress ranks started even as CM Amarinder Singh signed the order amending the Excise Policy while leaving out the contentious part of the policy. The order cleared by the CM does not allow extension of liquor vend contracts beyond April 1, 2021 to account for losses during 37 days of curfew in current financial year.
Relief to contractors in the form of extension in the contract period in the next fiscal was the main contention that had let to a confrontation between the ministers and the Chief Secretary.
The CM had on Tuesday even divested the CS of his additional charge of Excise and Taxation Department after several partymen had levelled allegations of conflict of interest against the top bureaucrat by pointing out his son’s alleged links to the liquor business.
In the middle of all this political drama, liquor contractors refused to open vends.
CM clears excise policy change
On Wednesday, Amarinder accepted the recommendation of the Excise Department, aligned to the advice of the Finance Department, to maintain the period of contract of liquor vends till March 31, 2021.
The state government even announced that instead of giving extension, the government, in line with the Finance Department’s recommendation, will provide adjustments to the licencees for losses incurred for the lockdown period, from March 23 to May 6.
With Amarinder not allowing the extension, the state exchequer would be able to save Rs 400 crore. But both moves by the CM — to amend the Excise Policy minus the contentious contract extension clause and taking away Financial Commissioner (Taxation) charge from the CS – have failed to quell the campaign against Karan Avatar Singh.
Twitter revolt against CS
CM’s political adviser Amrinder Singh Raja Warring was the first one to tweet his demand for Chief Secretary’s removal on Wednesday, besides demanding an inquiry against him for alleged revenue loss of Rs 600 crore in excise collections for last fiscal. Soon after Cabinet Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa also re-tweeted this tweet and demanded the same.
PPCC chief Sunil Kumar Jakhar also repeated the demand for Singh’s ouster and said, “The Chief Secretary should have stepped down himself by now. As he has not done so, he should be removed. The Chief Minister should sack him for his impudence for misbehaving with Cabinet ministers.”
Jakhar said it was not just the Chief Secretary but the workers of the party were facing many problems due to officials “who were still having the hangover from SAD-BJP rule and were a part of extortion machine that the previous government was”.
“Had it been handled initially, things would not have come to this pass. Such kind of impudence of officials, if allowed to continue, would be detrimental for the party. Keeping the party consideration aside also, the entire episode does not leave him with any moral authority to continue. His continuation will send a wrong message,” Jakhar said.
Clarifying that this was not a tussle between the CM and his Cabinet, he clarified: “This is wrong. Considering the attitude of the CS, the CM, by removing him, would be sending a message to masses that it is a government for the people, by the people.”
Former PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa also demanded a probe by a central investigation agency into the allegations of conflict of interest against the Chief Secretary. In a series of tweets, he said that divesting the CS of Excise and Taxation Department points to a larger problem in the running of the department.
Others who tweeted included adviser to CM, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Warehousing Corporation chairman Dr Raj Kumar Verka, who also holds a Cabinet rank, and MLAs including Kulbir Zira, Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa, Balwinder Singh Laddi, Barindermeet Singh Pahra, Joginder Pal Bhoa, and former Punjab Youth Congress president Amarpreet Singh Lalli.
Most of the ministers stayed away from the controversy on Wednesday. Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, who was the first one to walk out of the Cabinet after a showdown with the Chief Secretary, had been busy with his ailing father in the hospital, who is on a ventilator support.
As the twitter tirade continued throughout the day, several MLAs got calls from a “senior Congress leader” asking them to exercise restraint in view of a few weeks left for the Chief Secretary to retire.
Liquor contractors dig in heels
Meanwhile, liquor contractors refused to open vends. Varinder Sharma, an office bearer of liquor contractors’ association, told The Indian Express, “We have not read the policy yet. But what the press releases indicates is that we have not got any relief. They promised us that they will allow us to extend the contract by 37 days starting April 1, 2021. But this has not happened.”
He added: “We had also demanded that the Minimum Guaranteed Quota (MCQ) and Minimum Guaranteed Revenue (MGR) should also be reduced considering that the entire year is likely to see restrictions due to Covid-19 thereby affecting the sales. But the showdown between officers and ministers has done us in. It is likely that about 10 per cent contractors may open shops but the rest will not.”
Inderpal Singh, another contractor, said that Housing Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla and officials of Excise Department held a meeting with contractors in Jalandhar on Wednesday. “The meeting remained inconclusive. As of now, the contractors are not enthused,” he said.
The CM has constituted a 3-member committee of senior officers to assess the actual loss resulting from closure of liquor vends amid Covid-19. The committee comprises of Principal Secretary Finance Anirudh Tiwari, Principal Secretary Power A Venu Prasad, and Excise & Taxation Commissioner Vivek Pratap Singh. Inderpal Singh said, “We have no trust in government. Either they give us relief now or we will not open. Who knows what the expert group is going to do?”
GoM for Covid cess
The Chief Minister has also set up a Group of Ministers (GOM) to consider the issue of levying a special Covid Cess on sale of liquor, as has been done by certain other states in the wake of losses incurred due to the prolonged lockdown.