High Court points discover to Punjab on liquor coverage

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has on Tuesday issued discover to the federal government of Punjab asking it to elucidate why its new liquor coverage shouldn’t be stayed following complaints of illegality.

The Aam Aadmi Party authorities in Punjab had introduced in a brand new excise coverage for the yr 2022-23 on June 8, 2022. A petition filed within the excessive courtroom by M/s Akash Enterprises and M/s Vijay Sharma and Harjinder Singh and others stated that “as per the excise policy for the year 2022-23, the wine contractors holding L-2 retail vends are prohibited to participate in the allotment procedure of L-1 wholesale vend and the same is completely illegal, arbitrary, and ultra vires being in stark contrast with the provisions of Punjab Excise Act, 1914, and Punjab Liquor License Rules, 1956…”

The petitioners stated that “L-1 (wholesale) liquor license holder is also running the L-2 (retail) vend, and now as per the conditions imposed by the respondents, no L-2 (retail) license holder can get L-1 (wholesale) vend just in order to create the monopoly of the near and dear one of the Delhi High command.”

The petitioners have alleged within the petition that the coverage was made to favour some people who find themselves “…near and dear to the head of the party in Delhi as all the meetings for L-1 is conducted in Delhi (and) the policy is also framed in Delhi.”

The petitioners have alleged that the brand new excise coverage was drafted in corresponding to manner that it favoured a number of and would find yourself making a monopoly within the liquor enterprise. They stated that the utmost variety of retail vends that could possibly be allotted to an entity was elevated to 5 from three, which “furthers the intent of monopolizing the liquor industry into the hands of a few resourceful bidders”.

The excessive courtroom bench of Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu and Justice Vikas Suri have requested the state authorities to ship its response to the costs in petition by July 8.

That the Punjab excise coverage was made in Delhi is a cost additionally made by BJP chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa in his criticism to the CBI. In his criticism, Sirsa has accused Delhi chief minister Manish Sisodia of holding a gathering at his Delhi residence on 30.05.22 with Punjab excise and taxation officers to draft an identical coverage for Punjab.

Sirsa stated the assembly at Sisodia’s residence was attended by Varun Runjan, excise and taxation commissioner, Punjab, Kap Sinha, monetary commissioner, taxation, Punjab, Naresh Dubey, Vijay Nair, AAP Member of Parliament Raghav Chadha and Punjab excise minister Harpal Cheema. Sisodia didn’t reply to an in depth questionnaire despatched to him by this newspaper on June 14. The Delhi authorities spokesperson, nonetheless, rejected Sirsa’s fees as baseless and politically motivated.