Probe changes in liquor policy just before elections: Bhatt

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 19

Uttarakhand BJP chief Ajay Bhatt has shot a missive to Chief Minister TS Rawat, urging him to initiate an inquiry into the alleged changes made by the Harish Rawat government in the FL-2 (Foreign liquor policy), when the model code of conduct for 2014 elections was in place.

In the letter, the BJP chief has said there had been considerable delay in initiating an inquiry. 

“Though we had promised in our election manifesto that an inquiry would be initiated as soon as our government comes to power, more than a year has passed and it has not been done,” Bhatt has said in the letter.

Bhatt has also mentioned about an alleged sting operation where the state Excise Secretary Mohd Shahid was seen purportedly fixing a deal on the new liquor policy.

Significantly, the BJP had alleged that changes in liquor policy were made by bringing a separate FL-2 liquor policy to benefit a few private liquor dealers. 

It had raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly and had also made an electoral issue against the Congress government in the last Assembly elections. When the Governor’s rule was imposed in the state for some time, Governor Dr KK Paul had reversed the policy. 

Bhatt, in his letter, urged the Chief Minister to immediately set up a high level inquiry into the entire episode so that the guilty was could be punished.