Puducherry Lt Governor bats for auctioning of retail licenses to sell liquor

Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi on Saturday batted for auctioning of retail licences to sell liquor in the Union Territory.

In a WhatsApp message to mediapersons on completion of four years in office today, the former IPS officer said a 'financial regeneration' should be launched in the union territory to the maximum extent possible.

Bedi said there was a need to revisit current policies "which deny the government its own legitimate incomes."

She pointed out that there was a need to auction IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor) licences with efficient, watchful and computerised management of the Department of Excise.

The Lt Governor said there should be recovery of arrears of cable tax, property taxes, power tariff and more.

"Revisting rentals and licence fees lying unaddressed for years together, privatising our loss incurring properties to earn revenues, implementation of Vijayan Committee report relating to loss-making public sector undertakings here... are some of the measures necessary for economic regeneration," she said.