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Punjab govt to allow opening of exclusive beer shops: Minister
Punjab finance and taxation minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Friday said that ‘exclusive beer shops’ will come up in urban areas of the state during the coming financial year.
Punjab finance and taxation minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Friday said that ‘exclusive beer shops’ will come up in urban areas of the state during the coming financial year.
Cheema said the state government has decided to give permission to open exclusive beer shops within the municipal areas of the state as per the new excise policy. “Many people in modern society prefer beer but do not go to liquor vends. Therefore, the decision has been taken to allow exclusive beer shops in municipal areas,” the minister said while addressing at a press conference here on the completion of one year of the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. The state cabinet had approved the new excise policy for financial year 2023-24 on March 10. At present, beer is sold at liquor vends where other types of liquor are also sold. On being asked whether there was any proposal to allow home delivery of liquor, he replied in the negative.
‘Excise revenue up by 45% in the current year’
Listing the achievements of the AAP government in its first year, Cheema said that excise revenue was up by 45% in the current year, rising to ₹8,897 crore as per the 2022-23 Revised Estimates (RE) from actual collection of ₹6,157 crore in the previous financial year. On the “crackdown” on liquor mafia, he said that 6,317 FIRs were registered in which 6,114 persons involved in illicit liquor trade were arrested.
The finance and taxation minister also said that collection of enforcement wings increased from ₹ 147.89 crore upto February 2022 to ₹173.27 crore upto February 2023, registering 17.2% growth over the previous financial year. The taxation department also took initiatives such as a 24X7 ‘Chatbot’ for answering the queries related to goods and services tax via a WhatsApp number to help taxpayers, he added.
‘Will implement OPS soon’
Assuring to implement the old pension scheme (OPS) soon, Cheema said that two different committees, one headed by him and second by chief secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua, were set up to draft the standard operating procedure for the implementation of this scheme for government employees. “We are working on the scheme. Both Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh governments have brought old pension schemes. I can say with surety that their scheme will fail. Our scheme will be much better and ensure that there is no loss to the state and employees get pension on the same old pattern,” the minister said. Congress is in power in Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh.
‘Irregularities in recruitment at Punjabi University’
Replying to a query about the financial burden on Punjabi University Patiala, Cheema claimed that there were several irregularities in recruitment carried out in the university during the previous governments. “The University has less teaching staff and more non-teaching employees. These have been brought to the notice of the chief minister and appropriate action will be taken,” he said, assuring that government would release funds to the university as per its requirement.
