Tadepalli, April 23: The coalition government is brazenly fostering a liquor mafia while orchestrating a campaign of false allegations against the transparent liquor policy of the previous YSRCP regime, charged YSRCP East Godavari District President and former Minister Chelluboyina Srinivasa Venugopalakrishna, alongside former MP Margani Bharat.
Speaking at separate press conferences at Rajamahendravaram, they criticised Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for shielding his own history of corruption in the liquor trade by fabricating cases against the YSRCP’s governance. There is a calculated effort by the coalition to divert public attention from its illicit profiteering through the liquor industry.
The leaders pointed to a CID case from the YSRCP tenure that named Naidu as the third accused in a liquor scam, as he facilitated undue benefits for three distilleries through a quid pro quo arrangement. “Why is Naidu silent on this case?” they demanded, asserting that his administration’s unchecked corruption caused a Rs. 5,500 crore loss to the state exchequer between 2014 and 2019.
They contrasted this with the YSRCP’s transparent liquor policy, which eliminated private control over liquor shops, reduced their number by 33%, abolished 43,000 belt shops and 4,380 permit rooms, and imposed stricter regulations to curb illegal sales. These measures, they argued, prioritized public welfare over profiteering.
Under the coalition, however, the liquor trade has been handed over to a mafia controlled by its leaders. they said.
They claimed coalition figures have seized control of liquor shops, privatized state-run outlets, and imposed 30% commissions on private vendors. “The mafia dictates which brands to sell and at what price, inflating costs by Rs. 20 per quarter bottle,” they said, citing the sale of substandard liquor at Rs. 99 as a public health risk. Unauthorized belt shops and permit rooms have proliferated, with leaders extorting money through auctions and targets for illegal sales, costing the state billions. “This is systematic looting under the guise of governance,” they declared.
The leaders further accused Naidu of manipulating investigations to deflect scrutiny. They highlighted discrepancies in a Special Investigation Team (SIT) report, which admitted to fabricating statements in a case against YSRCP-linked individuals.
The report’s contradictory claims, both fund diversion and investment by the same individual, exposed its lack of credibility. They also noted that while the YSRCP issued no new distillery licenses, Naidu’s regime favored select companies, with 53.21% of liquor purchases concentrated among four firms, a fact the SIT ignored.
Calling for accountability, the leaders urged the public to reject the coalition’s diversionary tactics and demand answers on Naidu’s role in the liquor scam. “The people of Andhra Pradesh deserve a government that serves them, not one that exploits them,” they asserted.
They vowed to continue exposing the coalition’s misdeeds and fight for justice, ensuring the truth prevails over fabricated narratives.
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