Team News Riveting
Raipur, May 8
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel lambasted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for its fresh action on alleged liquor scam in the state.
The statement came after ED arrested Anwar Dhebar, brother of Raipur Mayor and Congress leader Ejaz Dhebar, in connection with the alleged liquor scam that central agency pegged at Rs 2000 crore. The ED has named a senior IAS officer and other functionary for their alleged involvement. For the last two days, Ejaz is reporting at the ED’s regional office for interrogation.
“Three years have passed (since the ED crackdown), the ED could not reveal what it had seized or what (evidence) it had collected,” Baghel said in a series of tweets. The ED officials in conservation had claimed that BJP was dependent on the central agency to take on Congress in the ensuing Chhattisgarh state polls (due in November this year), the Chief Minister added.
Bajrangbali is going to hit the BJP for corruption, Baghel said, adding that the allegation of ED was baseless. “I had said earlier that as soon as the election comes, ED-IT will stay permanently in Chhattisgarh and create new conspiracies,” Baghel said.
The policy of selling liquor through liquor corporation was made during BJP rule. In 2017-18, the tax revenue was Rs 3900 crore. “During our reign, it increased to Rs 6000 crore,” the Chief Minister said. If the BJP and ED believed that people of Chhattisgarh will be afraid of their actions, it is their misunderstanding, he added.
The Chief Minister said the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which is the central government’s watchdog for corruption, had given the state government a clean chit on liquor policy.
