The Andhra Pradesh high court on Wednesday posted the liquor and free sand cases against TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu to November 23 and 24 respectively. The advocate general and the senior advocates for the CID would present their arguments on the cases in the next hearing.
The liquor case was posted to Thursday. The advocates arguing for Chandrababu Naidu said that there was nothing wrong in giving liquor licenses to the traders. The licenses were given according to the decision of the State cabinet. There was no loss to the state exchequer, they said.
They also told the court that Section 17A of the prevention of corruption act would apply for Chandrababu Naidu in the two cases. The cases were filed without permission from the Governor, they said and requested the court to quash the two cases.
The sand was supplied free of cost to the people to help the common man, they said. They further told the court that the decision had led to an increase in construction activity in the state. The state had gained more income with the decision, the advocates told the court.
Advocates for the CID told the court that the licenses decisions were contrary to the decision of the cabinet. The ministers have changed the policy to benefit only a select few, they said. The state exchequer had lost heavily due to the new liquor policy of the TDP government, the advocates said.
In the liquor case, the Minister had changed the excise policy contrary to the decisions of the state cabinet. The new policy had caused heavy loss to the government, the advocates told the court. It had also benefited only a few liquor merchants, who were handpicked by the government, they said.
