TDP politburo member, Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, on Saturday came down heavily on the Jagan Mohan Reddy Government and said that the single agenda of Jagan is filing false case against the leaders of the Opposition parties totally ignoring welfare and development.
Talking to media persons at the TDP headquarters Bonda Uma felt that it is really shameful that illegal cases have been filed against former chief minister and TDP supremo, Chandrabbau Naidu, and senior TDP leader, Kollu Ravindra, for the policy decisions taken during the TDP regime. Despite the courts having pulled up the State Government repeatedly illegal cases are being foisted shamelessly against the Opposition parties leaders, he stated.
YSRCP MP, Viayasai Reddy, advisor to the Government, Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, and the ‘J’ gang have been levelling baseless allegations that the then government has suffered Rs 1,300 cr loss due to the cancellation of the privilege fee, Bonda Uma said. The excise policy for 2015-16 was framed after studying the matter thoroughly and after holding Cabinet meetings three times, he said.
The then excise commissioner, Naresh, and the then special chief secretary, Ajay Kallam, have sent the note to the state government for the 2015-16 excise policy, Bonda Uma said. In this note they have clearly mentioned that the neighbouring Telangana Government is increasing the number of liquor shops, for every 10,000 population one liquor shop is being set up, the prices of liquor is being brought down by Rs 30 to Rs 40 per quarter and the consumption has come down in the past three years.
This apart, they also said in the note that there is every possibility of liquor to be smuggled into the State from the neighbouring six States, Bonda Uma pointed out. The officials have made an appeal to the state government to formulate the excise policy taking all these issues into consideration and following this the Cabinet discussed the issue of excise policy in three meetings held consequently, he added.
After conducting a thorough study on all these matters, a decision on excise policy was taken by the Cabinet at its next meeting, he said and clearly mentioned the dates on which the Cabinet met. On May 22, 2015, later on June 1, then on June 8 and finally on June 17, 2015, he pointed out.
In the complaint made by Vasudeva Reddy, who is now holding a position much above the deputation, has alleged that privilege fee was waived without taking any decision by the Cabinet, Bonda Uma said. The TDP politburo member made an appeal to the people to realise the fact that for his capacity how can he make a complaint eight years after the Cabinet has taken a decision.
As Vasudeva Reddy mentioned, the then Cabinet mentioned the main points like liquor shops should be allotted through lottery system for fixed lease, stringent measures be taken to check smuggling of liquor into the State and steps to check illicit liquor sale and the then chief secretary has signed the Cabinet resolutions on June 22, 2015, he stated.
What is more important is that Ajay Kallam, who was the then special chief secretary (excise) signed the relevant file and issued the GO No 216 dated June 22, 2015 and GO No 217 dated June 22, 2015. Through these GOs, he amended the excise rules and announced various decisions, Bonda Uma explained.
Most important issues in these GOs are, he waived the privilege fee system which was in force till then and if any shop, on the fixed licence fee, conducts more business, an additional eight per cent VAT and tax should be paid, Uma said and stated that following these orders some shop owners resorted to sell the products more than the Minimum Retail Price (MRP) and sell the products through their shops by ordering them in the name of other shops. Only to check this malpractice, the privilege fee was waived, he said.
Neither Chandrababu, in his capacity as the chief minister, nor Kollu Ravindra in his capacity as the minister for Excise, signed on these files but only Ajay Kallam in his capacity as the special chief secretary (excise) has taken the decision and issued the relevant GO, Bonda Uma noted. It is really shameful that Vijaysai Reddy and Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy have signed the files, he remarked.
Then excise commissioner, Mukesh Kumar Meena, has sent a note to Ajay Kallam making certain suggestions to formulate a policy on setting up bars, he added. While forwarding the file to the chief minister and the minister concerned, Ajay Kallam made it clear in the note that the feing file is being forwarded to them only as a formality and thus both of them signed on it, Bonda Uma explained.
Vasudeva Reddy says he could understand something in this and then made a complaint to the CID, which as usual filed a case and started making funny arguments on this, Bonda Uma said and felt that those who have foisted false cases against Mr Chandrababu and those who are giving directions to them to file such cases will have to pay a very heavy price in future. The TDP politburo member said that the State Government is now selling cheap liquor at 400 times more than during the TDP regime and there are no digital payments in any shop.
Bonda Uma said that all this money is being transported to the Tadepalle palace. Making it clear that there are were no irregularities in liquor sale during TDP regime, he said that Jagan is now looting lakhs of crores from the people through liquor sale.
