The Anti-Liquor Movement Committee on Monday welcomed the High Court’s pat for the Anti-Corruption Bureau for busting the liquor syndicate racket and its direction to the State government to reconsider the transfer of ACB Additional Director K Srinivasa Reddy.
In a statement, the committee has alleged that the liquor syndicates all over the State were illegally “importing” liquor with the connivance of prominent politicians and causing loss of thousands of crores of rupees to the State exchequer. While every liquor shop in the State was bound to purchase liquor from the State Beverages Corporation, the liquor merchants were smuggling in liquor from the neighbouring States and causing a huge blow to the Excise revenue of the State.
Hailing the High Court’s observation that the ACB continue the probe against liquor syndicates in association with the Income Tax Department, the Committee felt that the “big leaders” behind the benami liquor merchants would come to light.
The committee said that they have discussed about the new Excise Policy, coming into force from July this year, with various political leaders, including N. Chandrababu Naidu (TDP), Dr N. Jayaprakash Narayana (Lok Satta Party), G. Kishan Reddy (BJP) and D V K Reddy (New Democracy). The committee stated that it would prepare draft for new Excise Policy after consulting the Congress, CPI, CPI-M, TRS and MIM leaders shortly. It also stated that it would convene a Round Table with the leaders of all political parties soon and formulate a new Excise Policy.
The committee also made it clear that it would launch agitation with cooperation of like-minded parties. (NSS)