Cong says govt monopolising liquor trade
Tuesday, 22/03/2016
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
CHANDIGARH: The Congress on Monday accused the SAD-BJP gover nment of monopolising the state’s liquor trade to favour revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia and MLA Deep Malhotra of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), seeking the government’s clarification on its excise policy.
Congress MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu raised the issue as he spoke on the demands of grants in the Vidhan Sabha, highlighting the excise policy’s clauses concerning “restricting the number of licensees to only five people”. “There will be a loot of ` 10,000 crore by the people who will have monopoly over the liquor trade in the state,” Sidhu said. He cited Monday’s HT news report (Policy shift leaves Punjab liquor traders high and dry) , as he even named Majithia and Malhotra as those to be issued monopoly licence ‘L 1-A’.
