12 MLAs seek CBI probe against Chief Secy

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 13

Amid the clamour for the ouster of Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh, the Punjab Government today announced amendments to the Excise Policy 2020-21 and constituted a three-member committee of senior officers to assess the loss owing to the closure of liquor vends post lockdown.

Complicating matters further for Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, at least 12 MLAs — among them Raja Warring, Raj Kumar Verka, Fateh Jung Bajwa, Kulbir Zira, Barindermeet Singh Pahra and Sangat Singh Gilzian — today took to Twitter, demanding a CBI probe against the Chief Secretary over “conflict of interest” and the revenue loss incurred by the Excise Department in the past three years.

Alarmed, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) swung into action. The Chief Minister, sources said, called up the MLAs as well as minister Sukhjinder Randhawa, urging them not to blow up the issue given the fact that the Chief Secretary was due for retirement in August.

He is learnt to have also called up Cabinet Minister Charanjit Channi to placate him after a minister reportedly threatened Channi to reopen a case against him involving a woman officer.Some Dalit MLAs have reportedly expressed solidarity with Channi.

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sunil Jakhar said that the Chief Secretary’s continuing in office would reflect poorly on the party as well as the government. Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa called for an inquiry into the ‘conflict of interest’ charge by a central investigating agency. “If there is no probe, Punjabis will continue to question the government on corruption. We must ensure transparency”, he stressed.

The Chief Secretary called on the Chief Minister later in the day.

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Illegal liquor sale triggered the face-off

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 13

At the heart of the recent face-off between Congress ministers and Punjab Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh was the alleged involvement of party leaders in the illegal production and sale of liquor. Official figures put the excise revenue loss during the three years of the Congress rule at an estimated Rs 1,800 crore.

Sources said the trouble began when the ministers accused the top officer of not accounting for the mounting losses. He, in turn, is learnt to have replied that the main reasons for the low revenue receipts were liquor smuggling and unaccounted-for sale across the state allegedly involving Congress leaders.

The Chief Secretary has since relinquished the additional charge of Financial Commissioner, Excise and Taxation.

Certain ministers and MLAs are said to be into the liquor business, directly or indirectly. “These leaders are into the business in their own names or in the names of their family members. The big issue here is unaccounted-for liquor stock.There are no records,” a senior official of the state Excise and Taxation Department said.

There are three aspects to the revenue loss: businessmen owning distilleries and retail outlets moving stocks illegally and selling without record of sales; retailers buying stocks from distilleries without bills and selling these illegally and third, organised smuggling of alcohol in districts and sale by bootleggers.

The officer added that besides involvement of leaders and questionable liquor supply, “we have also been facing competition as a result of smuggling of liquor from Chandigarh and Haryana”.

Congress minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, when contacted, said, “Our sole objection during the meeting with the Chief Secretary was the falling revenue figures from liquor sales. We asked about liquor being sold during the lockdown. We also raised the issue of ‘conflict of interest’ because the Chief Secretary’s son is involved in the liquor trade.”

Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh Singh could not be contacted despite several attempts.