Hyderabad: It sounds ludicrous, but it is true. Owners of as many as 103 of Vizianagaram district’s 202 liquor shops are white ration card holders.
In another twist in the tale, 33 licensees were found to be mere employees in liquor shops which are supposed to be owned by them, according to an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) news release on Saturday.
These disclosures come a couple of days after ACB additional director K Srinivas Reddy had a legal notice slapped on him by a subordinate in Vizianagaram district.
In the release, ACB said that, besides the 103 licensees in question, three license holders were covered under the Antyodaya scheme while nine others possessed temporary ration cards in Vizianagaram district.
“Initial enquiry revealed that 33 licence holders are working as petty or casual labour in the same liquor shops which they are supposed to own. Several liquor shops bear names which suggest that they are controlled by one or more group or syndicates,” ACB director-general Bhoopathi Babu said in the release.
Officials said that the syndicate had gained control of over half the liquor shops in the district by colluding with excise officials from the auction stage itself. “Excise department officials managed to manipulate auction records to add random names by subverting the whole auction process,” the DG added.
The investigative agency said that similar offences had come to light in other districts.
“The investigation has so far revealed that these are not ordinary cases of corruption; several aspects of organised crime have been observed. Hence, ACB is determined to act against all those involved in these cases,” the ACB official said.
In another twist in the tale, 33 licensees were found to be mere employees in liquor shops which are supposed to be owned by them, according to an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) news release on Saturday.
These disclosures come a couple of days after ACB additional director K Srinivas Reddy had a legal notice slapped on him by a subordinate in Vizianagaram district.
In the release, ACB said that, besides the 103 licensees in question, three license holders were covered under the Antyodaya scheme while nine others possessed temporary ration cards in Vizianagaram district.
“Initial enquiry revealed that 33 licence holders are working as petty or casual labour in the same liquor shops which they are supposed to own. Several liquor shops bear names which suggest that they are controlled by one or more group or syndicates,” ACB director-general Bhoopathi Babu said in the release.
Officials said that the syndicate had gained control of over half the liquor shops in the district by colluding with excise officials from the auction stage itself. “Excise department officials managed to manipulate auction records to add random names by subverting the whole auction process,” the DG added.
The investigative agency said that similar offences had come to light in other districts.
“The investigation has so far revealed that these are not ordinary cases of corruption; several aspects of organised crime have been observed. Hence, ACB is determined to act against all those involved in these cases,” the ACB official said.
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