The Hindu : UDF in the dark about excise policy change: Chandy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 31, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

UDF in the dark about excise policy change: Chandy

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH 30. The UDF convener, Oommen Chandy, has said that the UDF liaison committee had no knowledge about the Cabinet decision to cancel the decision to levy differential licence fees on bar hotels selling different quantities of liquor.

Replying to questions while briefing reporters about the deliberations of the UDF liaison committee meeting here today, Mr. Chandy said the members of the UDF sub-committee on `abkari' policy had told him that they had not recommended the levying of differential fees on bars.

Their recommendation was that there should not be any change in the `abkari' policy for the coming three years, Mr. Chandy said.

The UDF convener defended the Government decision to release Rs. 42 lakhs to Infam by way of rubber export subsidy and said the decision was long-pending and was caught in procedural complexities.

He could speak with authority on the subject as he had accompanied the Infam delegation that called on the Agriculture Minister, K. R. Gouri, to plead their case, Mr. Chandy said.

He pointed out that the Rubber Board had cleared the subsidy long ago merely on the basis of Infam's documents showing that it had effected the shipments. The State Government had decided to take a closer look at the issue only because of the bitter experience it had had with copra procurement during the time of the LDF Government. The subsidy should have been released two years ago, he added.

Mr. Chandy said there was no basis for the charge that the Agriculture Minister had taken a negative position on the issue. His own impression was that she was quite appreciative of the Infam demand and was very cooperative, the UDF convener said.

He added that there was no violation of the poll code in the Government decision to sanction the subsidy amount.

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