As per confession made by liquor syndicate leader, Excise minister Mopidevi Venkataramana had settled disputes between liquor syndicates in Khammam district and accepted money for the same. The information was given by liquor syndicate leader from Khammam, Mr Nunna Ramana, to the ACB in his confession.

According to his confessional statement recorded by ACB officials, Mr Ramana had got the licence of a wine shop in Khammam cancelled as it was selling liquor at the maximum retail price (MRP) while the other shops under the liquor syndicate managed by him were selling above MRP. Using his clout, Mr Ramana had gotten the licence of the wine shop cancelled by the excise deputy commissioner, following which the issue landed in the excise minister’s court. Seven members of the liquor syndicate and seven supporters of the wine shop owner had reached the ministers’ quarters in Jubilee Hills to settle the issue.

As the meeting turned chaotic, the minister apparently sent everyone out and called in two persons from each group and told them to sell liquor at the same price. As they dispersed, the minister demanded `10 lakh through his associates — Babji and Rajababu — which Mr Nunna Ramana paid to Babji. Based on the confession, ACB had officials taken the 14 persons into custody and are currently questioning them.

Mopidevi, however,  had a tough time being sandwiched between the chief minister and the PCC president. Before making up his mind to go with the chief minister, Mopidevi told his confidants that there are about 20 ministers in the lists submitted by the ACB to the government.

There is no way to substantiate his statement reportedly made in private conversation. Political circles are talking about the fact that there were no raids in Chittoor, Vizianagaram (both represented by the chief minister and the PCC president respectively), Kadapa and East Godavari districts.

Telugu Desam Party also is not making any issue of these raids or some districts being left out because the party’s leaders are in liquor business in a big way. Most of the liquor businesss in Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts, for instance, is reportedly controlled by TDP leaders.

Reliable sources say that the raids and the consequent drama is only a peripheral exercise and nobody is serious about checking the liquor traders or forcing them to sell at MRP rates. The government would not do anything that would affect its revenues and the TDP would not demand anything that would affect the income of its leaders!!!