Shimla – The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly witnessed a heated exchange during the monsoon session today, as opposition members accused the government of a scam related to the new excise policy. The controversy erupted during the Question Hour when opposition MLA Randhir Sharma raised concerns about the allocation of liquor contracts, alleging that the government had favoured its associates, leading to significant financial losses.
Randhir Sharma accused the government of allocating liquor contracts to its own people, resulting in a major scam. He claimed that during the auction of these contracts, the state had incurred losses exceeding ₹100 crores. Sharma specifically pointed to irregularities in Kangra and Chamba, where liquor contracts were allegedly auctioned below the reserve price, further exacerbating the financial loss. He criticized the government for presenting misleading figures and accused it of allowing arbitrary pricing by favoured contractors.
In response to the allegations, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu countered that the real scam occurred under the previous government, which had failed to hold proper bidding for liquor contracts over four years, causing substantial revenue loss. This defense, however, did not sit well with the opposition members. Frustrated by what they perceived as a lack of accountability, the opposition, led by BJP MLAs and Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, staged a walkout from the House, chanting slogans against the government.
