Continuing their tirade against Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on the “cheap liquor deaths,” the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders on Thursday accused him of “running liquor business through his cronies, who own cheap liquor distilleries.”
Addressing the media, the TDP MLAs alleged that the Chief Minister had set a target of earning ₹10,000 crore during his five-year term through his “illegal liquor empire.”
Party State president K. Atchannaidu criticised Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy for claiming that the government used the money earned from the sale of liquor for implementing welfare schemes.
He said schemes such as Amma Vodi and pensions did not serve any purpose as the poor were dying after consuming cheap liquor.
Contrary to his election promise that he would phase out liquor and bring in prohibition after coming to power, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy was completely focusing on “making huge money from sale of liquor,” he alleged.
To substantiate his charge that the Chief Minister failed to keep his promise of gradually reducing liquor sales, Mr. Atchannaidu said, from ₹11,569 crore worth sales in 2014-15, the State had witnessed sales worth ₹24,714 crore in 2021-22.
The Finance Minister announced on the Floor of the Assembly that the State had earned a revenue of ₹16,500 crore, he said.
The TDP leader alleged that the liquor policy was designed to gain grip over the liquor shops and distilleries. He said when the TDP MLAs demanded a discussion on the issue in the Assembly, they were placed under suspension. “The claims made by Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy in the Assembly on the liquor issue are a pack of lies,” he said.
Party MLAs A. Satya Prasad, Y. Sambasiva Rao, M. Rama Raju and others spoke.
