Delhi Government extends old excise policy for six months, asks officials to prepare new policy soon

New Delhi [India], March 15 (ANI): The Delhi government has extended its ‘Old Excise policy’ for six months, the Excise Department said on Wednesday.

The Delhi government has also asked the officials to prepare a new excise policy soon. The Excise department has said that there will be 5 dry days during these six months on Mahavir Jayanti, Good Friday, Buddha Purnima, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

The Delhi government revoked the New Excise Policy and implemented the old policy for the time being.

The officials have not been able to prepare any new excise policy, because of which the old policy has been extended for six more months.

Meanwhile, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is currently under ED custody in connection with the case pertaining to the same excise policy. He was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) during his judicial custody in Tihar Jail, where he is lodged.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI in the liquor policy case on February 26 and was sent to 14-day judicial custody on March 6. He was arrested in connection with the alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD).

Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court sent him to judicial custody till March 20.

The ED also made another arrest in the case earlier, as it took Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai into its custody.

The probe agency has also questioned Bharatiya Rashtriya Samiti (BRS) MLC and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s daughter, K Kavitha in the liquor policy case.

The excise policy was passed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Cabinet in the middle of the deadly Delta Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.

The Delhi government’s version is that the policy was formulated to ensure the generation of optimum revenue, eradicate the sale of spurious liquor or non-duty paid liquor in Delhi, besides improving user experience.

The CBI had filed a case against alleged corruption in the 2021-22 excise policy. The excise policy was subsequently withdrawn by the AAP government.

Sisodia was among 15 others booked in an FIR filed by the CBI. Excise officials, liquor company executives, dealers, some unknown public servants and private persons were booked in the case.

It was alleged that irregularities were committed including modifications in the Excise Policy and undue favours were extended to the license holders including waiver or reduction in licence fee, an extension of L-1 license without approval etc.