Arbitrary hike in liquor price caused revenue jump in Chhattisgarh

Raipur, May 9:Chhattisgarh Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) chief Arun Sao on Tuesday slammed the
Congress government in the state and claimed
liquor rates were arbitrarily raised, thus causing an
increase in the liquor sale revenue in the state.
Sao also alleged that the Congress government
created an “organised criminal syndicate” and
started selling liquor directly from distillery to
shop.
On Monday, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel
termed the Enforcement Directorate’s claim of
decline in revenue collection from liquor in the
state as “baseless” and said the data shows a
significant rise in revenue collected from liquor
sale under the current Congress government as
compared to the previous BJP regime.
The ED on Saturday arrested liquor businessman
Anwar Dhebar, the brother of Congress leader and
Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, in connection with
the alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh.
In its remand application filed in a special court,
the ED had claimed there was a “massive scam” in
the liquor trade in Chhattisgarh by a syndicate,
comprising high-level state government officials,
private persons and political executives.
It also claimed the scam generated corruption
money of more than Rs 2,000 crore between
2019-22.
Speaking to reporters at the state BJP
headquarters here on Tuesday, Sao said, “The
chief minister’s statement about liquor sale is
completely baseless. You (current Congress
government) had arbitrarily increased the liquor
rates. Also, you were once opposing the liquor
policy but are now following it.”
During the BJP’s rule, there were no two separate
counters (for liquor sale), he said.
“You (Congress) created an organised criminal
syndicate and started selling liquor directly from
distillery to shop, used fake holograms to sell
liquor thereby putting the health and lives of
people in danger,” Sao claimed.