5 months ago
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Leader of the Opposition successful the Assembly R. Ashok connected Sunday alleged that a bribe transaction worthy astir ₹2,500 crore had taken spot successful the Excise Department and demanded the resignation of Excise Minister R.B. Thimmapur, holding Chief Minister Siddaramaiah straight responsible.
Addressing a property league successful Bengaluru, Mr. Ashok claimed that bribes collected done liquor licensing were being diverted for predetermination expenses. He said Excise officials were being fixed gross postulation targets and licences were being “auctioned” successful usurpation of norms.
He referred to the caller apprehension of Excise Deputy Commissioner Jagadish Nayak, who was caught by Lokayukta constabulary allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹25 lakh.
‘Bribe rates’
According to Mr. Ashok, bribe rates had been fixed astatine ₹1.25 crore for each CL-7 licence (totalling astir ₹1,225 crore for 750 licences) and ₹1.5 crore for CL-2 licences (amounting to ₹925 crore for 650 licences). He besides alleged bribe collections nether CL-9 and mini-brewery licences, adding that the full was astir ₹2,500 crore.
He further claimed that audio clips suggested payments being made to the Minister oregon his son.
He said that akin charges had been echoed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had alleged that Excise funds were being routed to predetermination campaigns extracurricular the State.
The BJP had earlier exposed irregularities related to the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, the Valmiki corporation, and onshore astatine Kogilu Cross, and vowed to prosecute the Excise contented “to its logical end”, helium said.
Drug mafia
On the cause trafficking issue, the BJP person said that portion the Home Minister had claimed that enactment was nether way, the Chief Minister’s caller reappraisal gathering had revealed lapses wrong the constabulary department. He said the Maharashtra constabulary entering Karnataka to prosecute cause cases had raised questions connected the effectiveness of section policing.
He alleged that the cause web progressive astir 180 individuals, extended into prisons, and had constabulary complicity. “Police stations person go Congress offices,” helium remarked, alleging that instrumentality enforcement had go selective and influenced by wealth and governmental connections.
He cited the lawsuit of Congress person Rajeev Gowda from Sidlaghatta, who, helium said, had not been arrested contempt repeated demands. He besides alleged that a pistillate authoritative successful Varuna - the Chief Minister’s constituency - was threatened, claiming akin incidents crossed districts and asserting that MLAs and section strongmen were intimidating officials.
“The Chief Minister has mislaid grip implicit administration,” Mr. Ashok said, adding that the authorities was successful a “paralysed state”.
