On Wednesday, there was a heated discussion in the house between the Opposition MLAs and Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant regarding alleged scams and lapses in the excise department.
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Fatorda MLA raised concerns about the major lapses in the Excise Department, particularly pointing out the ‘flawed license systems.’ However, CM Sawant countered these allegations by stating that the loss highlighted in the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report is merely notional, as the revenue has actually increased by 10.46%. He assured the public that action will be taken based on an internal audit report related to the Pernem excise scam.
The Government has taken further steps to address the issue, as it plans to conduct surveys in all Talukas to ensure that no Excise license has been transferred to non-Goans or allowed outsiders to run retail liquor shops. The Excise department will also grant temporary excise licenses to shacks.
Benaulim MLA, Venzy Veigas, criticized the Government for not providing detailed revenue data from different liquor brands like whiskey, rum, and vodka. The Government was questioned if it has a mechanism to check MRP-wise and brand-wise sales in Goa.
On the other hand, LoP Yuri Alemao pointed out that despite gross irregularities found in the Excise Department, CM Sawant refuses to acknowledge it as a “scam.” The internal audit of the Excise Department failed to identify any revenue loss, leading to criticism of the Government’s handling of the situation.
