Ludhiana, March 8
The group led by liquor baron from Uttar Pradesh Ponty Chadha further consolidated its stranglehold on the liquor trade in Punjab by virtually capturing the Ludhiana revenue district. The auction of liquor shops for the district, conducted at Rotary Bhavan here today, which was completed in barely 15 minutes, fetched Rs 230.36 crore, a marginal increase of Rs 4.60 crore (2.4 per cent) over the previous year’s Rs 225.76 crore.

As per the report of the Excise and Taxation Department of the three groups in the district, two were acquired by A.B. and Company (Chadha group) for Rs 152.61 crore while the third had gone to Randhawa Chhabra and Company for Rs 77.75 crore.

The district administration and the police had made elaborate security arrangements all around the venue of the auction, which was completely cordoned off and the District Magistrate, Mr Anurag Verma, had issued prohibitory orders, restraining free movement or carrying of fire arms within 500 metres of Rotary Bhavan. Apart from strong contingents of the police all around, mounted policemen were deployed at the main entry point from the Ferozepore road side. Senior police officers, including those posted in the Vigilance Department, reportedly ensured that only people owing alliance to the two groups were allowed in the vicinity.

Barricades were put on all roads leading to the venue in Sarabha Nagar and the entry was restricted only to the persons carrying authorisation slips issued on payment by the Excise and Taxation Department to the prospective bidders. The department allegedly issued two different series of slips that indicated who was to be allowed to the auction. Consequently, a large number of authorised persons were still waiting at the entry point to be frisked and gain entry to the auction hall even after the proceedings were over.

Many of such prospective bidders alleged that the police and other higher ups in the Excise and Taxation Department had acted in a discriminatory manner and those carrying entry slips bearing serial numbers from 1-300 were deliberately delayed at the entry point on one pretext or the other, while those belonging to the Ponty Chadha group and possessing slips from serial number 300 onwards were permitted inside without any delay.

While the Financial Commissioner Taxation, Mr Mukul Joshi, and the Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Mr D.P. Reddy, did not stay back after the auction to brief the mediapersons, despite giving an assurance to this effect, the Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Mr Manmohan Singh, had a brief interaction with the press in the afternoon, claiming that the auction process was completely transparent.

Earlier in the day, Mr Joshi and Mr Chadha were seen together.

For the first time in the recent history of auction of liquor shops, mediapersons were not allowed inside the auction hall. Repeated pleas by mediapersons failed to have any effect on the adamant police officials, who claimed that entry was regulated through special passes as per the directions of the Excise and Taxation Department but the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anurag Verma, and the District Public Relations Officer, Mr Darshan Singh, had no idea as to who was to issue such passes.

Mr Manmohan Singh said the auction was a departmental action and it was a prerogative of the officials to allow or deny entry to anybody.

He said 562 persons were present inside the auction hall and as per the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court the entire auction were recorded on video.

There were unruly scenes at the last barricade outside the venue of the auction more than once when the police personnel appeared to be taking unduly long time to frisk and allow the slip holders inside the auction hall.

Agitated contractors and their representatives, time and again, raised slogans against the government and allegedly conniving officials of the department, who were a party to the conspiracy to oust the small liquor contractors.