Thaindian News

Hyderabad, Dec 20 (IANS) The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh Tuesday demanded the sacking of ministers allegedly involved in the liquor syndicate.

TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu questioned the silence of Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and sought action against the ministers and 60-70 legislators who are allegedly part of a cartel indulging in irregularities in sale of liquor across the state.

“This is a largescale loot, and the government instead of taking action against those involved is defending them,” he said.

He referred to the reports which described Transport Minister and state Congress chief Bosta Satyanarayana as the leader of the syndicate.

Naidu told reporters that a delegation of the party would meet the chief minister Dec 23 and Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan Dec 24 to demand action against the ministers involved.

The TDP will also organize protests in front of the offices of collectors in all 23 districts Dec 26.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also demanded the government to make public the details of the syndicate unearthed by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) during raids across the state.

Activists of the Communist Party of India (CPI) laid siege to the office of excise commissioner in Hyderabad, demanding action against the liquor syndicate.

The ACB raids during last few days revealed that the liquor syndicate of traders were making regular payments to politicians, officials and even to some journalists to protect liquor sales at over 30 percent of the maximum retail price.

The opposition is targeting both Botsa Satyanarayana and Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkatramanna.

There are allegations that several ministers and their relatives are into liquor business and that they also run “belt shops” or the illegal outlets of the licensed shops.

According to TDP leader T. Devender Goud, Andhra Pradesh’s liquor revenue of Rs.18,000 crore is the highest in the country. “There is drinking water scarcity in the state but there is no shortage of liquor,” he said.

Liquor is the biggest source of revenue for the government, which collects license fee running into crores of rupees from liquor traders for opening wine shops.