From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Goa Government has surreptiously amended the Goa Excise Rules to help out Union Women and Child Develop Minister Smriti Irani’s family business of Silly Souls Cafe and Bar at village Assagaon, according to Goa’s advocate Aires Rodrigues campaigning against the illegalities in the business.
A notification was issued on October 10 to permit an excise licence transfer to any other person or a partnership firm in “public interest.” Rodrigues, however, alleges that the notification is to malifiedly protect the blatant illegalities and fraud committed by Smriti Irani’s family.
Rodrigue says the amended rules or contrary to the Go Excise Duty Act, 1964 as its Section 104(1) mandates that a licence so granted is purely personal and non-transferable and as such the notification cannot override the parent Act.
The excise licence was obtained by Anthony Dgama in January 2021 and it was renewed in his name in 2022 even after he passed away on May 17, 2021. While his family denied that the property where Silly Souls Cafe and Bar is located was leased to Eightall Food and Beverages, the truth came out from the lease agreement with the God Food & Drugs Administration, revealing that the premises were in fact leased out with effect from January 1, 2021 for 10 years at a monthly rent of Rs 50,000 to Eightall Food and Beverages, which is operating in partnership with Ugrya Mercantile Pvt Limited in which Zubin Irani, husband of Smriti Irani, is a director.
The GST No 30AAIFE7039H1ZM used by Silly Souls Café & Bar is also in the name of Eightall Food and Beverages as well the Food & Drugs Licence too. This tailor made notification is to now legalise the illegalities to the benefit of Smriti Irani’s family, says Rodrigues.
