Chandigarh, May 10, 2020 (Yes Punjab News)
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today said a constitutional crisis had erupted in Punjab with cabinet ministers expressing loss of faith in the government even as it demanded a CBI inquiry into the multi thousand crore liquor scam involving sale of illicit liquor in Punjab during curfew by distilleries owned by Congress leaders and their friends.
In a statement here, SAD Spokesman Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said it was unfortunate when every State was doing its utmost to combat COVID-19, the Punjab Cabinet was fighting with bureaucrats as witnessed in yesterday’s pre-cabinet meeting.
“With the cabinet not trusting the bureaucrats and vice versa, there is a leadership crisis due to which Punjab and Punjabis are suffering. The Punjab government would do well and stop questioning the Union government everyday to divert attention from its failures and tell the people why its leaders and their friends were allowed to loot the State exchequer”.
Giving details, Dr Cheema said certain Congress leaders and their friends who owned distilleries in Punjab were openly selling illicit liquor from their factories. He said this sale, which was happening in truck loads without paying excise duty and under police protection, had caused huge losses to the State.
He said simultaneously there was large scale smuggling of liquor from Haryana. “This is the reason why when liquor vends finally opened in Punjab there were no takers because liquor had been provided to consumers through the black market. Even the proposal of home delivery of liquor is aimed at encouraging trade of distilleries as well as Congress leaders engaged in this trade”.
Stating that chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh was directly responsible for this state of affairs as he also held the Excise portfolio, the SAD leader said the chief minister had not only failed to check the illegal sale of liquor during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis but had also failed to order an inquiry into this scandal till now.
“This has also compromised the State’s fight against COVID-19 and led to lack of funds for health infrastructure and safety of health workers besides leading to the highest mortality rates”.
Speaking about yesterday’s incident in the pre cabinet meeting, Dr Cheema said it seemed the chief minister and his coterie were running the government without taking the cabinet into confidence. “The very fact that cabinet ministers walked out of the meeting indicates that the chief minister does not have their support.
Simultaneously the same Cabinet ministers, who are acting holier than thou and talking about loss to State exchequer, are accused of patronising sale of illegal liquor in their respective areas. Many have also been open votaries of home delivery of liquor. All this proves that the fight yesterday was not one aimed at protecting State revenue but filling of one’s own personal coffers”.
Saying only a CBI inquiry could get to the bottom of the multi-thousand crore scam, Dr Cheema said besides inquiring into the illegal release of liquor stock from distilleries owned by Congressmen, the inquiry should investigate illegal sale of liquor by the Congress led liquor mafia as well as fix accountability for losses incurred by the State exchequer.
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