BJP stand on excise policy challenged

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, APRIL 30. Delhi's Finance Minister, Mr. Mahinder Singh Saathi, today came down heavily on the BJP for indulging in ``doublespeak'' on the Excise Policy and challenged it to announce that it was in favour of complete prohibition.

Talking to newsmen here, Mr. Saathi, who returned to work after a week-long illness, charged the BJP and especially the Leader of the Opposition, Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, with adopting a dubious stand. ``I want to ask Prof. Mukhi and the BJP leaders what their stand is on the liquor policy. Their own Government in Uttar Pradesh has made liquor available in grocery stores, pan shops and super markets. Their Government in Himachal Pradesh is following a liberal excise policy and running the liquor trade through private sector. But they are opposing the same in Delhi just for petty politics,'' the Minister added.

Similarly, he said while the BJP-led Central Government had removed all restrictions on import of liquor and wine and they are freely available why did the Delhi BJP leadership and Prof. Mukhi not oppose this policy. It is clear that they had nothing to do with the welfare of the people and all the hue and cry was raised just to score a political point. However, he made it clear that under no circumstances he is going to succumb to pressure. ``We have not made liquor freely available. The only thing is that the policy is being made more rational and progressive and is aimed at plugging revenue leakages. But the protest by the BJP was clearly motivated by other considerations,'' he added.

Stating that he was strongly against government involving in liquor sale, Mr. Saathi said the agencies involved in this trade had no business to be there and instead should concentrate on the work for which they had been constituted. Why should the government be selling liquor when the same job is done by the private sector in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Referring to the now deferred Excise Policy, Mr. Saathi said a number of changes seem to have been incorporated in the decisions take by the Cabinet and this included the provision of NOC from the MLAs. Mr. Saathi revealed that this proposal was part of the note sent by the Commissioner, Excise but he had strongly opposed removal of the NOC provision. It never came up before the Cabinet and how it was later included is still to be found out. ``I am looking into the matter and any decision in this regard would be taken after taking a reasonable view of the entire matter,'' he added.

He also revealed that the Cabinet had not agreed to the proposal of home delivery of liquor which came up for discussion. ``There were a number of decisions which were not agreed to by the Cabinet and they had to be dropped keeping in mind the sentiments of my colleagues. I am open to suggestions and will continue with discussions with various sections before finalising the new Excise Policy,'' he stated.

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