Andhra Pradesh Beverages procuring 74% liquor from just 16 firms out of 100-plus registered with it: Daggubati Purandeswari 

BJP State president Daggubati Purandeswari said the Andhra Pradesh State Beverages Corporation Limited (APSBCL) was making 74% of the liquor procurement from just 16 out of 100-plus companies registered with it, to benefit the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leaders who forcibly took over the distilleries and flooded the market with their own brands. 

BJP State president Daggubati Purandeswari said the Andhra Pradesh State Beverages Corporation Limited (APSBCL) was making 74% of the liquor procurement from just 16 out of 100-plus companies registered with it, to benefit the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leaders who forcibly took over the distilleries and flooded the market with their own brands. 

She alleged that YSRCP MPs P.V. Midhun Reddy and V. Vijay Sai Reddy were behind S.P.Y. Agro Distilleries (SPYAD) and Adan Distillery Private Limited (ADPL) respectively. 

Apart from this, only cash payments were being accepted at the liquor shops in spite of the availability of multiple digital payment options. It facilitated the siphoning of a sizable chunk of the revenue earned. 

As the liquor mafia was causing a huge loss to the State exchequer, Ms. Purandeswari said she submitted a memorandum to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her visit to Andhra Pradesh a couple of days ago, seeking a probe into the liquor scam by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office or Enforcement Directorate or the Income Tax Department. 

Addressing media persons at the State party office, in Vijayawada, on October 25, Ms. Purandeswari said the APSBCL procured liquor worth ₹1,863 crore from SPYAD and ₹1,165 crore from ADPL. The procurement made from SNK Distilleries and SNK Sugars stood at a higher ₹1,996 crore. These were among the 16 companies with which APSBCL placed bulk orders. 

She recalled that it was on October 2, 2019 that the State government decided to bring the liquor business under its control and accordingly assigned the task of liquor procurement to the APSBCL, which supplies to the outlets under different brand names. 

The other companies from which procurement was being done on a large scale are MS Biotech Private Limted, JR Associates, BRK Spirits, Pearl Distilleries, Puducherry Leela Distilleries, Radico Khaitan, Eagle Distilleries, Sarvani Alok Breweries, Sentini Bio Products, Amber Spirits and BDH Agro Ventures.