BRS flays govt. for its over-dependency on revenue from liquor sales

T. Harish Rao
| Photo Credit: MOHD ARIF

HYDERABAD

Senior leader of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and former minister T. Harish Rao has criticised the Congress government in the State for having over dependency on the excise revenue to run the administration.

“Is the government ruling the State only depending on beers and bars as all its efforts are aimed at filling the coffers by increasing the liquor revenue”, he sought to know and stated that Telangana was rising only in the excise income by increasing the prices of liquor and whether it was the change brought about by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

In a statement, Mr. Harish Rao observed on Sunday that only the Excise department appeared to be exercising much in the State when the Congress rule had left the administration to the winds and put all the promised welfare schemes in cold storage. Those who had raised a hue and cry over liquor sales when BRS was in power were going all out to jack up the State’s tax revenue to fill its coffers, he said.

The Congress government which had already increased the prices of beer by 15% had now planned to hike the prices of other liquor varieties to burden the poor and middle class further. The intentions of the government were very much clear as the directions were issued to excise authorities to double the sales along with increasing the prices.

Stating that the Congress leader had vehemently spoken against liquor sales and revenue when in the Opposition, the BRS leader said they had reversed their stand once came to power. By repeatedly speaking about bankruptcy, the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues were flaying the reputation of the State and the government had resorted to increase liquor prices to plug revenue deficit after it headed southwards following ill-advised decisions.

Mr. Harish Rao reminded the Chief Minister how the Congress had promised in its Abhaya Hastam manifesto to amend the excise policy to regulate/control the flow of liquor and deal with an iron fist on the belt shops. However, after coming to power the government was increasing liquor prices and spreading/allowing belt shops indiscriminately.

Despite increasing the liquor revenue, the government was not making proper allocations to welfare schemes and now it was planning to allow over 100 micro breweries, one every 30 km, in the State.