Chief Leader's Aide, Son-in-Law, Minister's Son in Brewery Bribery Sting

Former Minister and BRS MLA T. Harish Rao, in an informal media interaction, unveiled what he termed as another major scam in the state's Prohibition and Excise Department, accusing the government of favouritism, corruption, and neglecting farmers in favoru of liquor interests.

Rao alleged rampant irregularities in the approval of microbreweries. Out of 110 applications received, the government decided to approve only 25, with quotas allegedly divided: 4 for a minister and 21 for a prominent leader he described as a "shadow" to the chief leader. This individual, recently in the news, is said to be constantly accompanying the chief leader, including on trips like to Tirupati, with direct access to his residence. Each brewery license is purportedly priced at Rs 1.8 crore, with Rs 1.5 crore going to the chief leader and Rs 30 lakh to this aide. Rao questioned why a transparent lottery system, similar to that used for wine shops, was not implemented for the 110 applications.

He further highlighted unprecedented dues of Rs 4,500 crore owed to liquor suppliers, some pending over 16 months— a situation he claimed never occurred under the previous BRS government, which cleared payments within 15 days. This has led to halted supplies, empty shelves in many liquor shops, and warnings from multinational companies to cease deliveries, with letters already sent. Discrepancies in quota allocations are blamed for the backlog, potentially leading to more brands withdrawing and a drop in government revenue.

Rao criticized the government's priorities, pointing to hologram tender irregularities allegedly favoring the chief leader's son-in-law and the minister's son. He accused the administration of prioritizing beer companies over farmers, citing crop holidays declared for 40,000 acres in Sangareddy and 30,000 acres in Medak due to Singur dam repairs under Ghanpur ayacut. Despite this, water supply to beer firms in Sangareddy continues uninterrupted. The Excise Special Chief Secretary reportedly visited the district, instructing irrigation officials to halt water to farmers while ensuring no shortages for beer companies.

"Is this a government for liquor manufacturers or for farmers?" Rao asked, urging immediate transparency and action to curb the alleged corruption.