The CAG report in Haryana has raised questions on the working style of the Excise and Taxation Department. Irregularities have come to light at various levels in the report. The state government has suffered a loss of crores of rupees due to this act of the Excise Department. The report of the SIT constituted to investigate the liquor scam has not been made public till date.
There has been a lot of uproar in the Assembly regarding the liquor scam that took place during the lockdown during the Corona period in the year 2020-21 in Haryana. Despite this, the report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the government to investigate the scam of crores of rupees in the department of the then Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala has not been made public till date.
Now the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has also raised questions on the working style of the officers of the Excise and Taxation Department. The CAG report has exposed irregularities at various levels, due to which the state government was cheated of crores of rupees.
What is the provision in the excise policy
There is a provision in the excise policy that contractors selling liquor in an illegal manner will be fined. Interest will also be charged on delayed payment of license fees and pending license fees.
The officials did not show seriousness in recovering the fine, license fees and interest from the defaulting contractors. Due to this, the treasury suffered a loss of about Rs 7.5 crore. Especially in cases of violation of L-1 and L-13 licenses, less penalty was recovered.
What did CAG find in the investigation?
CAG found in the investigation that in the year 2020-21, the Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner in Ambala had imposed a fine of about Rs 6 crore on M/s Shaukeen Wine for violating the terms of L-1 and L-13 licenses.
Out of this, Rs 1 crore was adjusted against the security amount of Rs 1.25 crore. The remaining Rs 5 crore was not recovered.
Late payment of license fee installments
A fine of Rs 3 crore 85 lakh was imposed on M/s Sushil Kumar, out of which about Rs 2 crore 12 lakh was recovered from the security amount, while about Rs 1.75 crore was left. About Rs 7.75 crore is still outstanding on both the liquor contractors.
In Ambala itself, an investigation of the records of August 2021 and July 2022 revealed that out of a total of 58 liquor shop vends, 42 zones paid the monthly installments of license fees of Rs 53 crore late. Interest of about one crore rupees was to be charged, but the commissioner did not initiate any action.
Registration of residential plots at agricultural land rates
Officers registering land in areas adjoining cities defrauded the treasury by charging agricultural land rates on residential plots. Wrong valuation of 14 plots of less than 1000 square yards area falling within municipal limits resulted in loss of stamp duty and registration fees of Rs 57 lakh.
Similarly, 50 farmers who bought residential and commercial land from land compensation were wrongly exempted from stamp duty and registration, due to which the government suffered a loss of Rs 1 crore 61 lakh.
Prime Khasra land was wrongly determined at the normal rates fixed for agricultural land, due to which stamp duty of Rs 64 lakh was less.
Registry officers did 176 registrations in the areas of Gram Panchayat and Zila Parishad without charging the fee at the rate of two percent on the transaction in addition to stamp duty, due to which stamp duty of Rs 68 lakh was less.
