Goa Excise Commissioner has rightly issued a show cause notice to the up market Silly Souls Café and Bar allegedly run by Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani’s family at Bhouta Vaddo in Assagao Village over the illegally obtained Liquor licences.
There needs to be a thorough inquiry into this alleged fraud which was orchestrated by Smriti Irani’s family in conjunction with Excise officials and the local Assagao Panchayat.
Though the Excise rules in Goa allow a Bar licence to be issued only to an existing restaurant, the Excise department on 18th February 2021 in rank violation of law issued a licence for retail sale of Foreign liquor for consumption on the premises along with another licence for retail sale of Indian Made Foreign liquor and Country liquor to the outlet. These liquor licenses were issued without there being a Restaurant licence as required by law.
The Excise department issued the licences in the name of one Mr. Anthony Dgama, who as per the Aadhaar card submitted by him shows that he was a resident of Mumbai and that the Aadhaar was issued on 30th December 2020. The Excise licences were issued for this sprawling 1200 sq. mts plush premises reportedly being run by Smriti Irani’s family in rank violation of law.
Last month on 29th June the local Excise office in clear contravention of law renewed those licences in the name of Anthony Dgama despite him having passed away last year on 17th May 2021 as per the death certificate issued by the Municipal Corporation of Mumbai.
Those in power should not dare hoodwink the authorities as the long arm of the Law catches up, slowly but surely. There must also be a probe into the legality of all properties including benami ones bought in Goa by Smriti Irani and other central leaders. It’s time to say that enough is enough.
