In line with BJP State president D. Purandeswari’s complaint to the Centre against the ‘lopsided’ liquor policy in Andhra Pradesh, local leaders of the party on Monday staged a demonstration in front a liquor shop here. They were, however, rounded up by police, taken to the Tirupati West police station and released on station bail by evening.
The leaders alleged large-scale corruption in the sale of liquor through State-run outlets, which accepted payments mostly in cash. “When the entire world is appreciating India for leading the way in digital payments, the State’s wine shops demanded payment only in cash, making a mockery of the very payment interface system,” said State spokespersons G. Bhanuprakash Reddy and Samanchi Srinivas.
They claimed that the Excise department showed a revenue of just ₹32,000 crore whereas the actual figures, going by sales figures, crossed ₹57,600 crore. “The public needs to know who pocketed the ₹25,000 crore,” Mr. Bhanuprakash Reddy said.
They also questioned the government on its promise of implementing prohibition in phases and wondered if any step had been taken to this end after four years in power. Mr. Srinivas accused the State government of deliberately selling low-quality liquor, thus leaving consumers with serious disorders such as liver cirrhosis. The party dared the government to order a CBI investigation into the issue.
