‘Ignored’ on excise policy decisions, Sidhu cries foul

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 20

Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu’s “outburst” over “non-abidance” of his suggestion to study the Tamil Nadu model of excise policy in the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday led to a discussion on the subject of bringing the lucrative liquor business under the state control.

Sidhu, while aiming his “outburst” at a senior government functionary, is learnt to have pointed out that he had asked him to study the Tamil Nadu model before setting up the state liquor corporation. Now he was told that it would be done in the next year’s policy after studying models of other states.

Sidhu was also said to be peeved at not being made part of the team, led by Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, which went to West Bengal last month to study its excise model. On the state’s revenue generation from the excise policy, the minister was told about the projected 18 per cent rise in revenue during this year before the discussion came to an end.

Earlier, Sidhu referred to the reports of the BBMB diverting water from the Bhakra and Pong reservoirs to Rajasthan earlier this year, lowering their water levels to the dead-storage mark at a time of extreme shortage.

While referring to the reports of alleged mismanagement by BBMB officials, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh is reported to have pointed that Punjab was not being duly represented in the selection of officials in the BBMB. It was decided that the state would take up the matter with the Centre.