AP CID is conducting searches at the residence of AP Beverages Corporation MD Donthireddy Vasudeva Reddy on charges of running liquor trade and liquor distillery syndicates in AP for the last five years. Following complaints from political parties, the Election Commission removed Vasudeva Reddy from the post of Beverages Corporation.
For five years, the opposition has been alleging that thousands of crores of rupees of irregularities have been committed in AP by increasing the prices of liquor and selling liquor brands that do not have the name of the town. The BJP has complained many times that the government has committed thousands of crores of irregularities by increasing the prices of liquor in AP in the name of liquor policy and selling only spurious brands, benami products of ruling party key leaders.
AP BJP President D Purandeshwari has complained to the Center several times before the election that the Beverages Corporation has taken thousands of crores of loans by showing its income and financial manipulations have taken place on a large scale.
The opposition alleged that government liquor shops were set up by the Beverages Corporation and substandard liquor made in government-friendly distilleries was sold in them and thousands of crores were diverted due to huge difference in bottling price and selling price.
Though Vasudeva Reddy attempted to leave to his parent company before poll results, that was unsuccessful. He is residing in Hyderabad as the Election Commission has dismissed him. As soon as the new government came to power in AP, it focused on the irregularities committed in the previous government.
The CID has been conducting searches at the residence of Vasudeva Reddy in Nanakramguda, Hyderabad since Friday morning. There are allegations that during Jagan’s government, he led the illegal activities by giving full support to the exploitation of liquor.
There are allegations that he played a key role in taking over the management of existing distillery and liquor manufacturing companies in the state by force and threats. YSP, which came to power in 2019 with the slogan of complete prohibition of alcohol in Andhra Pradesh, increased the price of alcohol twice as soon as the government was formed. New brands were brought to the fore preventing sales of popular brands that were in use till then.