Excise policy row: LG flags 'misleading' statements by Delhi govt counsels to HC

New Delhi, Feb 7 (PTI) Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena said government counsels have made “misleading” statements before the high court related to a report on the opening of liquor vends in conforming and non-conforming wards while implementing the now-rescinded excise policy in the national capital, officials said on Wednesday.

The proposal of the Excise Commissioner to submit the report of the committee -- set up on the orders of the Delhi High Court regarding conforming and non-conforming wards -- to the court was moved for LG's approval on August 18, 2022, Raj Niwas officials said.

However, it was stalled by the then minister twice, officials said.

"All this while the government kept telling on record in HC, that the report was pending with LG. It prompted the court to request the LG thrice to clear the file for submission of the report expeditiously, despite the fact that the file was not with LG.

“The proposal was cleared by Atishi (Delhi minister) who sent it for further recommendation to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who cleared it on January 16 this year and sent it to LG," an official said.

In a file noting to Kejriwal, Saxena noted that the file relating to the approval of the report was received at the LG Secretariat on January 16 this year – after a lapse of one year and five months since it was first moved for LG’s approval on August 18, 2022, the official said.

Saxena noted in the file that the case is a "sad reflection on the manner in which the state government counsels made false and misleading statements" before the court, showing the Lieutenant Governor and his office in poor light in the eyes of the court. PTI SLB VIT SLB SKY SKY