‘Cash transactions worth ₹1.30 lakh crore were done in liquor shops to facilitate looting of public exchequer’

TDP polit bureau member and Sarvepalli MLA Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy. File
| Photo Credit: ARRANGEMENT

Senior TDP leader and Sarvepalli MLA Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy said cash transactions worth nearly ₹1.30 lakh crore were done in liquor shops during the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) regime notwithstanding the focus laid by the Modi government on digital payments, which were disallowed to facilitate looting of the public exchequer.

Addressing media persons at the TDP Central office near Mangalagiri in Guntur district on Saturday (April 26), Mr. Chandramohan Reddy said the liquor  sold under different brand names  contained harmful chemicals as per a report submitted by the SGS Laboratory in Chennai.

As a consequence, thousands of people have died but the YSRCP government would not own responsibility for the deaths for obvious reasons. The sheer scale of the irregularities warranted a probe by the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI.

He alleged that P.V. Midhun Reddy and Sajjala Sridhar Reddy and other YSRCP leaders have played a key role in the illegal sales of liquor. Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy had to wind up his liquor business due to intimidation and strong – arm tactics of the YSRCP government.

Multiple national and international brand distilleries were closed as their proprietors refused to pay commissions to liquor businessmen who had the backing of YSRCP, he charged. Mr. Chandramohan Reddy further said people were forced to consume liquor made in A.P. only by preventing them from bringing three bottles from other States, which was permissible at that time. 

The scam should either be probed by a Special Investigation Team or be handed over to Central agencies in order to bring all the culprits to justice.

In fact, the Central government should intervene in the matter so that the scamsters could be exposed, the TDP MLA said while pointing out that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government had promised to impose total prohibition but utterly failed in implementing it.