The Andhra Pradesh high court on Thursday posted the liquor scam case against TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu to Monday, November 27. The court has been hearing the case for the past three days.
Advocates for Chandrababu Naidu, Nagamuthu and Dammalapati Srinivas told the court that there was no role of Chandrababu Naidu in the liquor case. He said that it was the decision of the state cabinet.
The then excise commissioner had sent a proposal to the state government seeking cancellation of privilege fee. The state cabinet accepted the proposal of the excise commissioner, the advocates told the court.
Then the revenue special chief secretary also signed the papers, the advocates told the court. The withdrawal of privilege fee for the liquor merchants was not the decision of Chandrababu Naidu alone, they told the court.
Advocate general S Sriram told the court that Naidu had instructed the officials to place a proposal withdrawing the privilege fee. He mounted pressure on the officials to bring such a proposal, the advocate general told the court.
The state exchequer had lost its revenue due to the decision. The then TDP government headed by Chandrababu Naidu also favoured a few liquor merchants against the open procedure. The government did a favour to a few select merchants, the advocate general told the court.
The advocate general also told the court that the decision has denied natural justice to other merchants who wanted to have business with the state government. He wanted the court to take up the case seriously and do justice to the other merchants.
