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TDP chief and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the then Minister for Excise Kollu Ravindra signed the liquor license papers without getting approval from the cabinet. What is more interesting is that they singed the papers after the cabinet meeting and then issued the Government Orders (GOs).
The TDP and its supporters, including the yellow media have been arguing that there is no scam in liquor licenses. However, the signatures of Chandrababu Naidu and Kollu Ravindra saw the light of the day. They both have signed the papers and ordered for the issuance of GOs as per their direction.
The GOs have no clearance from the finance department. The GOs were not approved by the finance department. They both, Chandrababu Naidu and Ravindra, took the responsibility to give licenses to the persons they wanted.
The TDP government between 2014 and 2019 withdrew the privilege fee for the liquor shops and bars across the state. This costed Rs 1,299.64 crore loss to the exchequer. Though some officials cautioned the chief minister about the loss to the exchequer, neither the chief minister nor the excise minister took notice of this.
Liquor licenses were given to the TDP leaders and those who paid big money to Chandrababu Naidu and Ravindra. The government also issued orders in February 2019, a couple of months before the 2019 general election, giving permission to cheap liquor brands. All the brands that are sold through the liquor shops today were permitted by the TDP government.
Chandrababu Naidu and his son Lokesh talk about the liquor brands only to divert the attention of the people from their own crime. All these brands were permitted by the TDP government and the present YSR Congress government has nothing to do it except continuing the contract.
