Partap Bajwa seeks probe into liquor smuggling, revenue loss

In a series of tweets, Bajwa said the liquor mafia was growing in the state and it was time to allow a central agency or a sitting judge who is independent of the government of Punjab to investigate this immediately

Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday demanded a probe by a central agency into the rampant liquor smuggling and loss of excise revenue in Punjab.

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In a series of tweets, Bajwa said the liquor mafia was growing in the state and it was time to allow a central agency or a sitting judge who is independent of the government of Punjab to investigate this immediately. The Rajya Sabha MP said the provisional accounts of the state government showed that the excise department missed its revenue targets in the last three years of the Congress government and by a larger amount each year.

“These losses must have arisen due to the illegal smuggling of liquor across state boundaries by distilleries to evade excise taxes with the help of dept officials,” he tweeted, referring to cases registered under the Excise Act during the curfew period.

The Rajya Sabha MP said the legacy of the Congress government in the state must not be that of failing to rein in the liquor mafia and the government-contractor nexus. “Given that the govt’s own accounts showcase revenue targets being missed, how is it that you have publicly declared that this is not true? Will you please explain to the people of Punjab by what you meant by that statement?” he asked chief minister.