NE NEWS SERVICE
PUDUCHERRY, MAY 10
Stepping up his tirade against the Puducherry Lt Governor, Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Sunday alleged that the former was preventing through several ”unacceptable” and ”objectionable” ways, the flow of revenue to the fund-starved territorial administration.
#புதுச்சேரி மதுக்கடைகளை திறப்பது சம்மந்தமாக எங்கள் அமைச்சரவை கூட்டத்தில் முடிவு எடுக்கப்பட்டது. மதுக்கடைகளை ஆன்லைன்(online) மூலம் விற்க தகுந்த தொழில் நுட்ப வசதி இல்லாமல் இருப்பதால், வருகின்ற 17ஆம் தேதி வரை புதுச்சேரியில் மதுக்கடைகளை திறப்பது பற்றி பிறகு முடிவு எடுக்க உள்ளோம். pic.twitter.com/j1tf0T96Ko
— V.Narayanasamy (@VNarayanasami) May 10, 2020
In his daily press briefing, the Chief Minister said, “the police department has been instigated by Kiran Bedi to file cases against liquor merchants on flimsy grounds.”
“Police have no right to intervene in the working of the excise department and hence by misusing their authority they were unnecessary dislocating the working of the liquor business by taking action against the merchants.” It is known to all that the licensees authorised to import liquor from other places or those selling the product within the Union Territory remit the excise duty before doing their business.
The duty thus paid in keeping with Excise rules by the merchants ultimately comes to the State Exchequer, he noted. The Chief Minister said during the current lockdown the merchants were put to unnecessary hardship by “overstepping attitude of the police.” He accused the police of “dancing to the tune” of the Lt Governor by filing false cases against liquor dealers on the basis of complaints given by those indulging in blackmarket activities.
On reopening liquor shops, Narayanasamy said as far as his government was concerned no definite decision could be taken on the matter. “Already there was a legal battle in Tamil Nadu where the shops were now closed. We are not in a position to take a definite step and we will wait till the lockdown comes to an end on May 17 to decide on reopening the shops,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that his government could not go in for online sale of the liquor as very strong infrastructure and technical facilities were required to be done. The creation of the facility would take much time, he said. The cabinet had at its meeting on Saturday decided not to take any decision for the present on reopening the liquor shops in the Union Territory. It was decided at the meeting that the government could wait for the next few days before the ongoing lockdown comes to an end and take a decision on reopening liquor shops, the Chief Minister added.
