The CM said the new excise policy will make sale and distribution of liquor in the city transparent.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday said the Delhi government is formulating a new excise policy and it will be rolled out soon.

A high-level committee, headed by Chief Secretary Dharmendra, is formulating the policy and reviewing excise policies of several other States to incorporate their best practices. The committee will complete the process by June 30 after which the final policy recommendations will be presented to the government, the Chief Minister’s Office said.

‘Learning from past mistakes’

“We consider the trust of the people of Delhi paramount. Learning from past mistakes of the previous government, we are bringing a policy that will leave no room for corruption at any level,” Ms. Gupta said.

She said the new policy will make sale and distribution of liquor in the city transparent and accountable, and introduce several reforms in the system, including scientific testing of liquor quality, digitisation of the sales system, strict action against illegal sales, and transparency in the licensing process.

“Public interest will remain the top priority in the new excise policy. The government will ensure that the policy does not adversely impact sensitive sections of society,” the Chief Minister said.

The now-scrapped Delhi excise policy of 2021-22, which was implemented by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, faced serious allegations of corruption. AAP national convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, senior party leader and former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, and others were arrested and jailed on “corruption charges” in connection with the policy. Both leaders are now out on bail.

‘Loss of ₹2,000 crore’

As per a Comptroller and Auditor General report tabled in the Delhi Assembly in February, there was a loss of about ₹2,002 crore to the exchequer due to issues related to the implementation of the 2021-22 policy.

On Friday, Ms. Gupta had alleged that the AAP government’s excise policy was “corrupt” and “undue benefits were extended to select private companies, while the government’s revenue suffered”. She claimed that the policy had neither followed due legal process nor prioritised public welfare.