The action against the senior officers came following an enquiry report by the Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar and the vigilance department. (Representational Photo)Intensifying the face-off between Raj Niwas and the Delhi government over the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena Saturday approved the suspension and initiation of disciplinary proceedings for “serious lapses” against 11 officers of the Excise department including the then Excise Commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna and Deputy Commissioner Anand Tiwari.
An IAS officer, Krishna was Excise Commissioner when the policy was formulated and implemented last year. Anand Tiwari, a DANICS officer, was serving as the Deputy Commissioner under Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
The others suspended are Assistant Commissioners Pankaj Bhatnagar, Narinder Singh, Neeraj Gupta, Section Officers Kuljeet Singh, Subhash Ranjan and Suman and Dealing Hands Satya Brat Bhargav, Sachin Solanki and Gaurav Mann.
Last month, Lt Governor Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, putting Sisodia, in-charge of the excise department, directly in the line of fire.
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The move followed a report submitted by Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar on the matter. It alleged corruption and violation of transaction of business rules. The report alleged that undue benefits were provided to liquor vend licencees in lieu of “kickbacks” and “commissions”.
Krishna was transferred after the Excise department replied to the Chief Secretary on the seven questions he raised on the excise policy.
The Lt Governor asked the Chief Secretary to submit a detailed report on the role of officers in the formulation and implementation of the policy.
Sources in the Lt Governor’s office claimed the officers did not inform the authority concerned despite being aware of “illegal activities” and “changes being made by Sisodia on behalf of the Cabinet without the approval of the LG”.
“The LG has taken this decision in view of the serious lapses on part of the officers concerned, in the implementation of the Excise Policy, including inter alia irregularities in finalizing the tender and extending post-tender benefits to select vendors, as brought out by the Directorate of Vigilance (DoV) in its report after inquiry,” the sources said.
The new excise policy had been introduced by the Delhi government to increase government revenue, improve consumer experience, reduce corruption and redistribute liquor shops in an equitable manner. Under the new policy, implemented in November last year, only private liquor shops could run in the Capital.
Last month, after the Lt Governor called for a CBI probe, there was a sharp reaction from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
“I have known Sisodia for 22 years and I have never seen anyone as honest or as much of a deshbhakt as him,” Kejriwal said, accusing the Lt Governor of making “false allegations”.
He also accused the Centre of going after AAP ever since it won the Punjab Assembly elections.
Sisodia, in a Twitter post, targeted the Prime Minister: “Modi ji is very afraid of Kejriwal ji. People have become disillusioned with Modi ji. Now the country has hope only from Kejriwal ji. As AAP’s influence grows across the country, there will be many more false cases. But no jail can stop Kejriwal ji and AAP. The future belongs to AAP, the future belongs to India.”
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First published on: 06-08-2022 at 02:15:19 pm