Delhi: The Delhi Assembly on Thursday referred the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report on the Capital’s excise policy to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for examination and directed the excise department to submit an action-taken report on the findings within a month.
The third session of the newly constituted Assembly was eventful, with the CAG report dominating discussions, Mustafabad MLA Mohan Singh Bisht being elected deputy Speaker, and three legislators demanding that their constituencies be renamed.
With 21 AAP MLAs — including Leader of Opposition Atishi — barred from the House after their suspension on Tuesday for disrupting the lieutenant governor’s address, AAP’s Amanatullah Khan was the only opposition member present. He dismissed allegations of irregularities in the excise policy, urging the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to focus on its election promises instead.
The 165-page CAG report, tabled on Tuesday, flagged a revenue loss of ₹2,026.91 crore under the now-scrapped 2021-22 excise policy, attributing it to a weak policy framework and deficient implementation.
Another CAG report, this time on Delhi’s health services, is scheduled to be tabled on Friday.
During the discussion, BJP MLAs accused the AAP government of corruption.
Minister Kapil Mishra alleged that the previous AAP-led government had tried to “suppress” the report so it could not be tabled in the assembly.
“If I were to summarise the CAG report, I would say, ‘Jhaduwala hi daaru wala hai’ (The one with the broom is the one selling liquor),” he said, referencing AAP’s election symbol.
He further accused AAP of prioritising liquor sales over governance, claiming illegal liquor shops had been opened near religious sites and educational institutions. “Liquor shops were opened near gurdwaras, mandirs, schools and colleges violating rules. More CAG reports will be tabled in the House soon. Those who came promising to fight corruption, turned out to be the most corrupt and arrogant government,” Mishra said.
After the discussions concluded, Speaker Vijender Gupta noted the report highlighted major lapses, including violations in awarding licenses, lack of transparency in pricing, and inadequate regulatory oversight.
“CAG has calculated a revenue loss of ₹2,026 crore. This House unanimously agrees that the matter should be examined swiftly, and those responsible should be held accountable,” Gupta said, directing the PAC to submit its findings within three months.
“As a first step, I have directed the assembly secretariat to immediately forward the report to the concerned departments. The para-wise comments and action taken notes of the excise department should be submitted within one month,” he noted. He said that the PAC will be formed in March, and it will start working since April. It will give its report in three months from April.
AAP’s Amanatullah Khan dismissed allegations of corruption, insisting the report only pointed to implementation failures. “The BJP came to power by assassinating AAP’s character. Now that you have formed the government, deliver on your promises — like the ₹2,500 monthly allowance for women — instead of deflecting attention,” he said. Khan argued that the same excise policy in Punjab had generated profits.
BJP MLA Arvinder Singh Lovely countered, raising a point of order, saying Khan was misleading the House. “CAG has flagged irregularities in the excise policy,” said Lovely.
Later, Khan walked out of the House in protest. Meanwhile, suspended AAP MLAs, led by Atishi, protested outside the Assembly. Later, they wrote to President Droupadi Murmu seeking an appointment to discuss what they called the BJP government’s “undemocratic” actions.
Separately, chief minister Rekha Gupta announced that Bisht’s name for deputy Speaker was approved by a majority vote. “I heartily congratulate Mohan Singh Bisht ji for this new responsibility. Also, I thank all the respected members of the House and Manjinder Singh Sirsa ji who seconded my proposal,” said she wrote on X.
