The excise department of the Delhi government is currently looking at an overhaul in the wake of several vacancies created by the suspension of officials and repatriation of police personnel deputed there, officials said on Monday. This development comes on the back of Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena had last week suspended 11 officials of the department, including the excise commissioner, deputy commissioner and three assistant commissioners, after an inquiry by the vigilance directorate into alleged irregularities related to the implementation of the AAP government's excise policy, news agency PTI report said.
According to an order issued by the excise department, the Delhi government repatriated 39 Delhi Police personnel attached with the department for enforcement purposes and the personnel were working with the department and its intelligence branch for long. The officials further stated that the repatriated police personnel included seven sub inspectors and several head constables and constables.
The development has created vacancies of officers as well as office staff at the department, especially at a time when the department is tasked with the job to issue licenses for opening of 500 liquor stores by four Delhi government undertakings (DTTDC, DSIIDC, DCCWS and DSCSC) from September 1, as per the PTI report. Additionally, the excise department has been strengthening secretarial staff to help the committee formed to prepare the fresh excise regime.
In the meantime, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government has withdrawn the Excise Policy 2021-22, and is going back to the old one that was operational before November 17, 2021, just as, new excise commissioner K M Uppu and an assistant commissioner recently took charge at the department.
An official of the department said more officers and staff members will join the team in coming days, while a delegation of the Delhi government's SC/ST/OBC Employees Confederation met L-G Saxena and welcomed the scrapping of the excise policy, the report said.
"The delegation including employees of DTTDC, DSIIDC, DCCWS and DSCSC- that will run liquor stores in the city from September 1, expressed confidence that reverting to the old policy would ensure financial sustainability of these organizations and thousands of employees," the L-G office said in a tweet.
(With inputs from PTI)
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