The Andhra Pradesh government would order a CID investigation into the liquor scam during former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure. This was announced by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu in the Assembly on Wednesday. He released white paper on liquor trade in the Assembly on the day.
Chandrababu Naidu said that if criminals join politics, the politicians become criminals. He said that we have seen how the state would be if a criminal becomes a chief minister. We can understand how much damage was done to the state in the last five years if we go through the seven white papers that are being released by the present government, he said.
He said that Jagan Mohan Reddy had promised total prohibition and reducing the liquor outlets. However, he had done so much to loot the liquor trade in the state, he said. He said that Jagan Mohan Reddy said that if the liquor prices are increased, people would stop consuming liquor, he said. He said that the prices had increased alarmingly when compared to the neighboring states. But the liquor sales did not come down, he said.
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Chandrababu Naidu said that the liquor sales have increased in the last five years. But the revenue to the state had come down, he said. The increased income had gone to the pockets of the YSR Congress leaders, he said. He said that the general liquor which is available in the country was not available in the state during the last five years. The state has different liquor brands, he said.
The Chief Minister further said that the government did not pay the distilleries and new orders were not placed for some. The five original and national brands were sent out of the state, he said. He said that local brands were sold in the liquor outlets. The government had made the people buy whatever brands are available in the shops, he said.
He further said the government had diverted Rs 250 crore from different departments to the excise department. He emphasized the need to overhaul the excise department. He said that the government would review the liquor policy and bring new liquor policy. He promised to make available the popular brands in the state.
He sought the cooperation of the MLAs in designing the new liquor policy. He also wanted them to suggest how to proceed further and investigate the crime. He said that those who have committed crime during the last five years are to be punished severely. He also suggested to the ministers to look into the corruption in their respective departments.
