New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has demanded a thorough investigation into corruption linked to Delhi’s old excise policy following the release of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report. AAP leaders, including former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, have accused the previous regime of facilitating black marketing, price manipulation, and widespread corruption, which resulted in significant losses to the Delhi government’s exchequer.
Atishi, who addressed the media after the CAG report was presented in the Delhi Assembly, emphasised that the report validates AAP’s claims of corruption under the old policy. “The CAG audit report on Delhi’s excise policy from 2017 to 2021 was presented today. It comprises eight chapters, with the first seven focusing on exposing flaws and corruption in the old policy,” she said.
The report highlights that liquor sales were underreported by 28 per cent, causing a loss in revenue. “Chapter 5, Page 44, of the CAG report states that more than 28 per cent of liquor sales were underreported, with the unreported revenue pocketed by vendors,” Atishi explained. She also pointed to smuggling operations from neighboring states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, which led to further financial losses for Delhi. “Page 59 of the CAG report confirms the presence of black marketing and smuggling under the old policy,” she added. The report also reveals how liquor manufacturers manipulated profit margins, further emphasising the corruption present during the policy’s implementation.
In contrast, Atishi defended the new excise policy introduced by the AAP government in 2021, which aimed to curb corruption, boost transparency, and increase government revenue. “The CAG report shows that the new excise policy was designed to ensure transparency and prevent smuggling, with the potential to increase excise revenue from ₹4,108 crore to ₹8,911 crore in just one year,” she said.
However, Atishi accused the BJP-led Lieutenant Governor (L-G) and central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of deliberately obstructing the new policy, causing a ₹2,000 crore shortfall in expected revenue. She pointed to the successful implementation of the same policy in Punjab, where excise revenue surged by 65 per cent within a year. In addition, Atishi called for an investigation into Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani over a massive ₹20,000 crore electricity scam. “A scam worth ₹20,000 crore has come to light, with New York prosecutors indicting Adani’s power corporation for corruption. PM Modi dismissed this as a ‘personal matter,’ but the nation deserves answers,” Atishi said.
She revealed that Adani secured a ₹2,000 crore bribe to obtain a solar contract from the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and sold overpriced electricity to states like Odisha, Jammu & Kashmir, and Tamil Nadu. “This led to a ₹20,000 crore loss for these states while Adani reaped the profits,” Atishi claimed.