On Friday, April 7, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia exposed an alleged Rs 200-crore scam in the Excise Department of Punjab. SAD also demanded a CBI investigation into the alleged scam and take action against the persons involved, as was done in the case of the Delhi excise policy scam.
Exposed Rs 200 cr scam in excise dept & demanded CBI probe into fraud & arrest of all guilty. Showed cabinet documents to prove transfer of rebate benefit to retailer via L-1 was not given & that L-1 holders misused monopolistic position to dictate terms to retailers. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/NzfkMScXIX
— Bikram Singh Majithia (@bsmajithia) April 7, 2023
Speaking at a press conference, Majithia also accused Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Finance Minister Harpal Cheema of lying when they stated that the Excise revenue had jumped by 41% whereas it actually had increased by just 10.26%. He also stated that the current excise revenue was inflated by adding Rs 926 crore from last year adding that even Value Added Tax (VAT) collected by the State had been added to this head.
Also showed how CM @BhagwantMann & FM @HarpalCheemaMLA lied while claiming a 41 % hike in excise revenue when increase was 10.26 %. Current excise revenue was inflated by adding Rs 926 cr from last year. Even VAT collected by the State had been added to this head. 3/3 pic.twitter.com/GHqeo5sglt
— Bikram Singh Majithia (@bsmajithia) April 7, 2023
Majithia presented documents to the media, including the report of a group of ministers, and documents that had been cleared by the Cabinet to expose the Rs 200 crore scandal. He released a document from the Excise Commissioner, who had set up a commission to examine the gaps and inadequacies in the current excise policy. He claimed that the memo also stated that L-1 holders were abusing their dominant position to demand rebates from retailers and that the transfer of rebate benefits from manufacturer to retailer via L-1 was not granted to the retailers.
Majithia asserted that the committee report and the Group of Ministers report were both attempts at a cover-up. Majithia also accused former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail, of being the ‘architect’ of the Punjab liquor scam as well.
“The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has increased projected deposits by Rs 150 crore for this year after collecting Rs 28 crore from L-1 holders last year. This occurred as a result of the crackdown in Delhi that resulted in the arrest of Manish Sisodia, who is also the architect of the Punjab excise policy,” Majithia said.
Moreover, Majithia claimed that everything was being done to avoid arrests and charges, but he added that the AAP government and its staff could not avoid accountability for the theft from the state coffers last year.
“Now all of a sudden, the AAP government had realised in its own words that there should be a justification for deciding the margin of L-1 holders supported by strong economic principles,” the SAD leader added.
He alleged that the scam was of at least Rs 200 crore and that it required an extensive investigation. He further revealed that Aman Dhall and Tushar Chopra, two of the major liquor contractors in Punjab, were already the subject of an inquiry in Delhi for excise theft, with Dhall even being arrested. Majithia claimed the Chief Minister was directly to blame for the current mess because the CM had decreased the number of L-1 licences from 74 to seven in accordance with the AAP high command’s orders.
In addition to creating a monopoly, he said that the increase in profit from 5% to 10% had allowed L-1 holders to make enormous sums of money without contributing anything back to the state. He claimed that it was “clear” that kickbacks were given to AAP members at the expense of the government.
It is notable that Aman Dhall, who owns Brindco, a key importer and distributor of liquor brands and related beverages, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in March this year in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam.
Dhall has been booked under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED accused him of coordinating and facilitating kickbacks to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the South Group’s recovery of those kickbacks through various ways.
