Chandigarh, Mar 7 (PTI) A Punjab Congress delegation met with Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Tuesday and demanded a probe into the state's excise policy, claiming it has glaring similarities with Delhi's now-scrapped liquor policy.

"Given that the excise policy of Delhi has been called into question by the Enforcement Directorate and cases have been registered in connection with it, a similar action is therefore solicited in Punjab as well," the opposition party said in a memorandum submitted to the governor.

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"We demand that a probe be ordered into Punjab's excise policy, which has glaring similarities with the (now-scrapped) Delhi excise policy," it added.

Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa, who led the delegation, informed reporters about the demands raised by the party. He also referred to the CBI arresting AAP leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia last week in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy for 2021-22.

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In the memorandum submitted to the governor, the Congress said the Punjab government must answer some questions. It asked if the makers of the Delhi excise policy and that of Punjab the same, and if the Punjab excise policy and the Delhi excise policy similar in nature. "Was the modus operandi of both policies the same," it further asked.

A Congress delegation had met Purohit in September last year as well and sought a probe by the CBI into the state's excise policy, alleging that it was "tailor-made" to select a few contractors.

Bajwa also asked why no action has been taken against AAP leader and former minister Fauja Singh Sarari, who resigned in January months after he was embroiled in a controversy over an audio clip in which he allegedly discussed ways to "trap" some contractors in order to "extort" money.

"We demand a probe in Fauja Singh Sarari's case. Despite the questionable audio clip going viral, no FIR has been registered against the former minister..," read the memorandum.

The Congress delegation further said that before the assembly polls, the AAP had promised to do away with the sand mafia and extract Rs 20,000 crore by stopping alleged illegal mining in Punjab.

"It has already been more than 12 months, the AAP government has not even extracted one per cent of the promised amount," it said.

"The AAP government must answer and provide a specific date as to when would the promised amount be extracted and used for the welfare of people. Instead of doing away with illegal mining, what we have gotten to witness is that illegal mining has become more rampant ever since the AAP formed the government in Punjab," the memorandum alleged.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)