NEW DELHI: Delhi Finance Minister Kailash Gahlot on Monday lashed out at BJP MLAs who claimed that the government suffered losses in excise revenue and asked the saffron party members to read the Budget.
During a discussion in the Delhi Assembly, BJP MLA Abhay Verma claimed that the city government’s 2023-24 Budget showed a loss of Rs 3,100 crore in excise revenue.
The allegation, however, was refuted by Gahlot, who also holds the Excise portfolio.
Replying to the claim made by Verma, the minister said, “Between November 17, 2021, and August 31, 2022, the new excise policy earned Rs 5,576 crore while the revenue earned during the old excise regime between August 17, 2020, and August 31, 2021, stood at Rs 4,890 crore.”
“Please study something. In the old policy, revenue was earned through excise duty while in the new policy, revenue was earned through licence fees. You cannot compare the two policies. It is like comparing apples with oranges,” he added.
When Verma raised objections during Gahlot’s address, Speaker Ram Niwas Goel directed the marshals to escort him out.
Gahlot also cited figures from different months to show that the now-scrapped policy was doing well.
“In December 2020, the excise revenue stood at Rs 508 crore while in 2021, it was Rs 850 crore for the same month. These people have nothing to do with the excise policy. They have only one motive — that is to stop one man — Arvind Kejriwal. They want to stop the AAP,” he alleged.
Earlier, BJP MLA Om Prakash Sharma alleged a “scam” in the excise policy and claimed that “the money trail of the liquor scam goes up to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and he will also be in jail by next Navratri”.
The Excise Policy 2021-22 was withdrawn after Lt Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in its implementation.
Last month, the CBI arrested former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who also held the Excise portfolio when the new policy was framed and implemented, in connection with the alleged scam.
(With PTI inputs)
During a discussion in the Delhi Assembly, BJP MLA Abhay Verma claimed that the city government’s 2023-24 Budget showed a loss of Rs 3,100 crore in excise revenue.
The allegation, however, was refuted by Gahlot, who also holds the Excise portfolio.
Replying to the claim made by Verma, the minister said, “Between November 17, 2021, and August 31, 2022, the new excise policy earned Rs 5,576 crore while the revenue earned during the old excise regime between August 17, 2020, and August 31, 2021, stood at Rs 4,890 crore.”
“Please study something. In the old policy, revenue was earned through excise duty while in the new policy, revenue was earned through licence fees. You cannot compare the two policies. It is like comparing apples with oranges,” he added.
When Verma raised objections during Gahlot’s address, Speaker Ram Niwas Goel directed the marshals to escort him out.
Gahlot also cited figures from different months to show that the now-scrapped policy was doing well.
“In December 2020, the excise revenue stood at Rs 508 crore while in 2021, it was Rs 850 crore for the same month. These people have nothing to do with the excise policy. They have only one motive — that is to stop one man — Arvind Kejriwal. They want to stop the AAP,” he alleged.
Earlier, BJP MLA Om Prakash Sharma alleged a “scam” in the excise policy and claimed that “the money trail of the liquor scam goes up to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and he will also be in jail by next Navratri”.
The Excise Policy 2021-22 was withdrawn after Lt Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in its implementation.
Last month, the CBI arrested former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who also held the Excise portfolio when the new policy was framed and implemented, in connection with the alleged scam.
(With PTI inputs)
