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The | Chandigarh |
Posted: May 14, 2020 7:47:10 AM
The revolt against the CS from the ranks of Congress began even when CM Amarinder Singh signed the order modifying the Excise Tax Policy, leaving out the contentious part of the policy. (Proceedings)
A day after the Punjab government stripped Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh of the additional post of the Special Tax Department, more than a dozen party leaders, including a cabinet minister, advisers to the CM, MLA and even the president of the PPCC, demanded the removal of the CS from office. Send. Karan Avtar Singh will retire in August.
The revolt against the CS from the ranks of Congress began even when CM Amarinder Singh signed the order modifying the Excise Tax Policy, leaving out the contentious part of the policy. The CM-approved order does not allow liquor sales contracts to be extended beyond April 1, 2021 to account for losses during 37 days of curfew in the current fiscal year.
Relief to contractors in the form of an extension in the contract period in the next fiscal year was the main dispute that had allowed a confrontation between the ministers and the Chief Secretary.
On Tuesday, the CM even stripped the CS of its additional position in the Tax and Excise Department after several party members had brought charges of conflict of interest against the top bureaucrat by pointing out his son’s alleged ties to the business. of spirits.
Amid all this political drama, the alcoholic beverage contractors refused to open sales.
CM approves change in excise policy
On Wednesday, Amarinder accepted the recommendation of the Department of Excise, aligned with the advice of the Department of Finance, to keep the liquor sales contract period until March 31, 2021.
The state government even announced that, instead of granting an extension, the government, in accordance with the recommendation of the Department of Finance, will provide adjustments to the licensees for the losses suffered during the closing period, from March 23 to May 6 .
If Amarinder does not allow the extension, the public treasury could save Rs 400 crore. But both CM actions, to amend the Excise Tax Policy minus the contentious contract extension clause and remove the post of the CS Financial Commissioner (Taxation), have failed to stifle the campaign against Karan Avatar Singh.
Twitter revolt against CS
CM political adviser Amrinder Singh Raja Warring was the first to tweet his demand for the removal of the chief secretary on Wednesday, in addition to demanding an investigation against him for the alleged loss of income of Rs 600 rupees in special collections for the last fiscal year. Shortly thereafter, Cabinet Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa also tweeted this tweet again and demanded the same.
PPCC chief Sunil Kumar Jakhar also repeated the demand for Singh’s dismissal and said: “The chief secretary should have already resigned. Since he has not, he must be removed. The prime minister should fire him for his brazenness for behaving. wrong with the cabinet ministers. ”
Jakhar said it was not only the chief secretary, but the party workers faced many problems because of the officials “who were still hungover from the SAD-BJP government and were part of the extortion machine that was the previous government.”
“If it had been handled initially, things would not have gotten to this step. This kind of insolence of the officials, if allowed to continue, would be detrimental to the party. Keeping the party’s consideration aside too, the entire episode leaves him with no moral authority to continue. Its continuation will send the wrong message, ”said Jakhar.
Clarifying that this was not a fight between the CM and his cabinet, he clarified: “This is wrong. Considering the CS’s attitude, the CM, by eliminating it, would send a message to the masses that it is a government for the people, by the people. “
Former PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa also demanded an investigation by a central investigative agency into the conflict of interest allegations against the chief secretary. In a series of tweets, he said divesting from the CS of the Department of Excise and Taxation signals a bigger problem in the department’s operation.
Others who tweeted included CM adviser Sangat Singh Gilzian, Warehousing Corporation President Dr. Raj Kumar Verka, who also has cabinet rank, and MLA, including Kulbir Zira, Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa, Balwinder Singh Laddi, Barindermeet Singh Pahra, Joginder Pal Bhoa, and the former president of the Punjab Youth Congress, Amarpreet Singh Lalli.
Most ministers stayed away from the controversy on Wednesday. Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, who was the first to leave the cabinet after a clash with the chief secretary, had been busy with his sick father in the hospital, who is on a ventilation stand.
As the Twitter tirade continued throughout the day, several MLAs received calls from a “senior congressional leader” asking them to exercise restraint in light of the few weeks remaining for the Chief Secretary to withdraw.
Liquor contractors dig in heels
Meanwhile, the liquor contractors refused to open sales. Varinder Sharma, head of a liquor contractors association office, told The Indian Express: “We have not yet read the policy. But what the press releases indicate is that we have received no relief. They promised us that they will allow us extend the contract for 37 days from April 1, 2021. But this has not happened. “
He added: “We also require that the Minimum Guaranteed Fee (MCQ) and Minimum Guaranteed Income (MGR) also be reduced considering that the entire year is likely to see restrictions due to Covid-19 affecting sales. But the confrontation between officials and ministers has convinced us. About 10 percent of contractors are likely to be able to open stores, but the rest won’t. “
Inderpal Singh, another contractor, said that Housing Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla and officials from the Department of Excise held a meeting with contractors in Jalandhar on Wednesday. “The meeting was not conclusive. As of now, contractors are not excited, “he said.
The CM has formed a 3-member committee of senior officials to assess the actual loss resulting from the closing of liquor sales amid Covid-19. The committee is comprised of the Chief Financial Secretary, Anirudh Tiwari, the Chief Secretary, Power A Venu Prasad, and the Commissioner for Excise and Taxation, Vivek Pratap Singh. Inderpal Singh said: “We do not trust the government. Either they give us relief now or we won’t open. Who knows what the expert group is going to do?
GoM for Covid cess
The Chief Minister has also established a Group of Ministers (GOM) to consider raising a special Covid Cess on liquor sales, as other states have done in the wake of losses incurred due to the prolonged blockade.
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