Officials posted to ensure liquor to meet BRS poll needs: BJP to EC

Hyderabad: The State BJP on Tuesday complained to the Election Commission of India (ECI) citing how some transfers in the Prohibition and Excise department have been effected to defeat its directive to hold free and fair elections.

Party State EC Affairs Committee chairman Marri Shashidhar Reddy and member Ponna Venkata Ramana said the transfers were done at the behest Prohibition and Excise Minister V Srinivas Goud. They recalled the ECI letter on June 2 asking the chief secretaries of poll-bound States to transfer longstanding officers to ensure free and fair elections and to prevent undue influence of such officials acting in favour of the ruling parties.

But, in his letter on July 20 Srinivas Goud to Minister and BRS working president KTR sought certain transfers in his department. The letter was endorsed to the Chief Secretary by KTR with notings "Kindly examine and consider." Against one official whose transfer was sought has the noting of "C% Mynampally Hanumanth Rao, MLA." Accordingly, officers have been posted to suggested places, they alleged.

The leaders alleged that "a large number of officers were the office-bearers of the Telangana Gazetted Officers' Association, founded by minister Srinivas Goud." They are now being posted in key positions like excise superintendents in Saroornagar (Ravinder Rao), Shamshabad (Satyanarayan) and Malkajgiri (Arun Kumar). "The last named is given additional charge of State Task Force. ChandraiahGowd is the Assistant Commissioner of Enforcement in Ranga Reddy district. These are all key positions in the election period.

Besides, since 2017 a large number of officials in the Excise department in the rank of CIs and SIs have been continuing in the posts. In August 2023 about 10 CIs were posted as SHOs in Huzurnagar, Kodad, Serilingampally, Medchal, Secunderabad, Shadnagar, Chevella, Musheerabad, Narayanpet and Vikarabad to favour the ruling party. The leaders pointed out that there is an urgent need to shift these officers who have held posts for more than six years and continue with the minister’s blessings. "These officials are totally corrupt and biased. They only work in the interest of BRS," they alleged in the complaint.

They highlighted that all liquor depots across the State are under control of Excise Superintendents posted in Mahbubangar, Sangareddy, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy.

"The ruling party has always resorted to large-scale supply of liquor to influence voters during elections. All officials were posted to facilitate movement of liquor as required by the party in the elections. They sought EC’s intervention to review the transfers and take appropriate action.