Pakistan providing terror groups with operational space: Report

New Delhi, Jan 11 (IANS) Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his ministers allegedly swindled over Rs 2,026 crore as the liquor excise policy lacked transparency and thrived on illegal decision-making to benefit some favoured licencees, said a Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report whose excerpts came into public domain on Saturday.

The document of the government’s auditor that has exposed the liquor scam is named, “Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Performance Audit on Regulation and Supply of Liquor in Delhi.”

The damning findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Girish Chandra Murmu, over the AAP government’s controversial liquor policy come as a big setback to the ruling AAP ahead of the February 5 Assembly elections, giving fresh ammunition to the Opposition BJP and the Congress who have dubbed the scam “Liquorgate”.

“Responsibility and accountability should be fixed for the lapses observed and the enforcement mechanism should be strengthened,” said Murmu in his final recommendation in the report for the year ended March 31, 2022. The report was also signed by Principal Accountant General (Audit), Delhi, Aman Deep Chatha.

The BJP’s Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said, “The Aam Aadmi Party government of Delhi has today proven to be the most corrupt government of the country.”

“We need answers on who benefitted from the loss of public money and which AAP leaders received kickbacks,” he said.

One of the key findings was the non-setting up of labs to check the quality of liquor being supplied in Delhi, a lapse that exposed millions of city residents to health risks.

The government auditor’s report tore into the AAP government’s policy-making and implementation, citing several instances of irregularities like – lack of transparency in pricing, violation in issue and renewal of licences, non-penalisation of violators, non-seeking of approval from LG, Cabinet or the Assembly.

“Actual implementation was sub-optimal and objectives behind the policy were not achieved. Vends in non-conforming wards could not be opened and equitable distribution of retail vends could not be achieved. Issue and management of zonal licences had major shortcomings,” said the report.

The ruling AAP questioned the veracity of the ‘leaked’ CAG report and dismissed allegations of wrongdoing against Kejriwal and his Cabinet ministers, including Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain, who were arrested and later granted bail in money laundering and corruption cases linked to the excise policy.

The CAG report said the exchequer lost around Rs 890 crore as the AAP government did not re-tender the surrendered retail liquor licences.

The report noted, “There was lack of scrutiny of the business entities with regards to their financial wherewithal and management expertise. Instances of related business entities holding licences across the liquor supply chain were noticed.”

“Liquor supply data indicates exclusivity arrangements between zonal licencees and wholesalers and Brand Pushing. Surrender of zonal licences during the extended policy period further led to substantial revenue loss. Other important measures which were planned in the policy, like setting up of laboratories and batch testing for quality assurance, setting up of super premium vends etc., were not implemented,” it said.

The government lost an additional Rs 941 crore due to the exemptions that had to be given to the zonal licencees, the report said.

The Group of Ministers, headed by Minister Manish Sisodia, allegedly did not act on the recommendation of the expert panel and even allowed disqualified entities to bid for licences.

The findings on alleged wrongdoings, due to which Kejriwal, Sisodia and many other government functionaries, faced money laundering and corruption cases, are sure to raise the political temperature in Delhi where the AAP is trying to come back to power for a fourth time.

The elections for the 70 Assembly seats will be held on February 5 and the results will be declared on February 8. In the current House, the AAP has 62 legislators and the BJP has 8.

–IANS

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Srinagar, Jan 27 (IANS) Fresh snowfall in Srinagar on Tuesday has created a cheerful atmosphere among tourists, who are enjoying the picturesque winter scenery and calling the region a true Paradise.

IANS spoke to several tourists visiting the city, many of whom expressed their happiness at witnessing snowfall.

One tourist said, “I had heard a lot about Kashmir and had seen pictures as well. This place is truly Heaven. Till yesterday, there was no snow, and I felt my luck was not with me. But this morning, I saw heavy snowfall everywhere. Everything is covered in snow. Truly, Kashmir is Paradise.”

Another tourist shared similar sentiments and said, “After a long time, it is snowing again. This is a moment of great happiness for us. We had come here especially to experience snowfall.”

Yet another visitor said, “It feels wonderful to be in Kashmir while snow is falling all around. People should definitely come and visit this beautiful place at least once.”

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy snowfall in parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Leh, heavy rainfall in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi-NCR, and hailstorms in Rajasthan. The weather department issued Yellow and Orange alerts in parts of Jammu and Kashmir for Tuesday.

According to the IMD, heavy snowfall is expected in districts such as Kishtwar, Kulgam, Bandipora, Srinagar, Pulwama and Kupwara. Thunderstorms and hailstorms are also likely to occur in some regions. Areas placed under an Orange alert include Jammu, Anantnag, Udhampur, Samba, Kathua, Kishtwar, Pulwama, Reasi and Ganderbal.

Despite major setbacks faced by the tourism sector in Jammu and Kashmir following the Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent adverse weather conditions, the sector is gradually showing signs of recovery. Tourism in Kashmir was severely impacted after the April 22 Pahalgam attack last year, in which 26 people, including 25 tourists and one local, were killed by terrorists.

Following the attack, around 50 tourist spots and resorts were closed for security reasons. However, several destinations have recently been reopened, and more are expected to open for tourists after the completion of security audits.

Jammu and Kashmir recorded 1.61 crore tourist visits in 2025 up to November, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on January 26. He praised government efforts to revive tourism after the Pahalgam terror attack in April and the floods that occurred during August and September.

He added that Jammu and Kashmir is among the fastest-growing regions in the country, with its economy estimated to grow by 11 per cent at current prices, driven by sustained government initiatives and strategic policy interventions.

–IANS

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