CAG Report Delhi: Assembly to Discuss Liquor Policy Loss, Deputy Speaker Election Today

CAG Report Delhi: The Delhi Assembly session is set for a heated discussion today as the CAG report on the liquor policy implemented during the previous AAP government will be debated. The report, which was tabled by Delhi CM Rekha Gupta on Tuesday, has revealed significant financial losses due to policy changes.

₹2002 Crore Loss Due to Liquor Policy Changes

The CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) report has highlighted that changes in the liquor policy resulted in a ₹2002 crore loss for the Delhi government. Key reasons for this financial loss include:

Regional license mismanagement: Led to a loss of ₹940 crore
Re-tendering process issues: Caused an additional ₹890 crore loss
Security deposit collection failure: Resulted in a loss of ₹27 crore
Increased commission: Hiked from 5% to 12%, favoring select wholesale vendors
Market monopoly: 71% of liquor supply was controlled by just three wholesalers

The report points out several irregularities in the policy, raising concerns over how decisions were made during its implementation.

Deputy Speaker Election: Mohan Singh Bisht Likely to Win

Apart from the CAG report discussion, the Delhi Assembly will elect its Deputy Speaker today. BJP MLA Mohan Singh Bisht from Mustafabad is the leading candidate. Delhi CM Rekha Gupta will propose his name, with Manjinder Sirsa, Anil Sharma, and Gajendra Yadav backing his nomination.

Bisht, a six-time MLA, has a strong political presence. His election as Deputy Speaker seems almost certain, as no other candidates are in the race. Recently, Vijender Gupta was elected as the Assembly Speaker, following which discussions on the Deputy Speaker role began.

AAP vs. BJP: Political Tensions Escalate

Ahead of the Assembly session, former Delhi CM Atishi accused the BJP of undemocratic actions. She alleged that AAP MLAs were:

Suspended for three days for chanting "Jai Bhim" slogans
Stopped from entering the Assembly premises
Protesting over Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh portraits in the Assembly

As a result of disruptions, Speaker Vijender Gupta suspended 21 AAP MLAs and extended the Assembly session until March 1.