Delhi: Officials penalized for lapses in excise policy, L-G approves suspension of 11 staff

New Delhi: In a major decision today, the Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena on Saturday approved the suspension of at least 11 senior officials including top bureaucrats for lapses in the framing of the new excise policy and their ‘botched’ implementation.

Delhi L-G VK Saxena also approved disciplinary proceedings against Arava Gopi Krishna, former commissioner of Excise department & Anand Kumar Tiwari, former DANICs officer.

Apart from 2 DANICs officers, 9 other officials of the Excise department also felt the heat as the LG recommended their suspension also.

The action comes close on the heels of an LG-ordered enquiry into the new excise policy 2021-22 for alleged violations of rules & procedural lapses. The LG had recommended CBI probe into the irregularities & lapses of new Excise policy, based on a report by Delhi Chief Secretary report.

The LG took the decision to suspend officials, over lapses on their part in I implementation of the Excise policy and also irregularities in finalizing the tender.

Sisodia in presser, blames L-G for last minute U-turn

Moments before the suspension order of officials, Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia addressed the media and trained guns on the LG.

Sisodia, also the excise & finance minister, is in the midst of controversy over alleged irregularities in the excise policy and is also being slammed by the BJP for ‘causing’ loss to the exchequer. The saffron party has been targeting the AAP government for rolling out new excise policy, as they alleged malafide intentions behind the move.

Also, it was the for the first time that Delhi Deputy CM acknowledged in today’s presser that the new excise policy incurred losses to the exchequer, amounting to crores of rupees.