Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Principal secretary, Excise is to hold a meeting with excise commissioner and deputy commissioners across the state through a video conference on Tuesday for, as the order states, increase in liquor consumption. The order prompted the Opposition Congress to launch an attack on the state government and demand cancellation of the meeting.
As per an order from the Excise department that went viral on social media on Monday evening the excise commissioner has been directed to attend the meeting to be held at 12 noon on Tuesday, along with deputy commissioners for ‘increase in liquor consumption’.
State Congress media coordinator Narendra Saluja in a statement issued on Monday evening said, “The love of BJP government for liquor has once again come to fore through its own order. On one hand the chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan spoke against liquor on many occasions but his own government is now talking of how to increase liquor consumption. It shows a double standard of the government.”
Saluja said the state government’s step was to help distillery owners in the state and it came at a time when BJP leader Uma Bharti announced to launch an agitation against liquor from January 15.
“The excise department’s duty is to collect revenue through auction of liquor shops and check crimes related to excise, not to take measures to increase liquor consumption. The meeting should be cancelled immediately”, said Saluja.
Principal secretary, Excise Deepali Rastogi couldn’t be reached for her comments.
However, state BJP spokesperson Dr Hitesh Bajpai said, “The party has not come to know about any such order. Once the order comes to light the party will look into it.”
