Telugu Desam Party politburo member and Sarvepalli MLA Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy on Saturday alleged that the liquor scam that took place during the previous YSR Congress party government was an international level scam and demanded a thorough probe by central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the massive irregularities.
Somireddy said the scam was far bigger than the Rs 3,200 crore as was officially quoted. It exceeded Rs 10,000 crore in magnitude.
The illegal liquor sales and cash transactions in Andhra Pradesh totalled around Rs 1.30 lakh crore, a scale unprecedented anywhere in the country.
“While Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about Digital India, Jagan had turned Andhra Pradesh into ‘Cash Andhra Pradesh’ to facilitate illegal liquor sales,” he alleged.
Somireddy revealed that liquor brands specially promoted under the YSRCP regime — such as Andhra Gold, 9C Horses, and Silver Stripe — were found to contain dangerous chemicals like Pyrogallol, Isopropyl Alcohol, and Diethanol Toluene, according to a certified report by the renowned SGS Laboratory in Chennai.
"These substances are life-threatening and caused severe damage to internal organs. Thousands of people, particularly from SC, ST, and BC communities, lost their lives after consuming the adulterated liquor, while many others were left bedridden,” he lamented.
Somireddy alleged that liquor stocks were illegally transported directly from distilleries to retail outlets, bypassing official depots and mandatory scanning, under the supervision of Excise Department officials close to the ruling party leadership.
He said commissions ranging from Rs 150 to Rs 600 per crate were forcibly collected based on the liquor brand, while unofficial sales fetched up to Rs 10,000 per crate.
“The entire liquor business was monopolized by a select group controlled by Lotus Pond,” he said, hinting at the direct involvement of the former chief minister’s close associates.
Referring to recent ED actions in Delhi over a Rs 100 crore scam, he questioned why no action was being taken in Andhra Pradesh despite allegations of a Rs 10,000 crore fraud.
“The SIT probe must go deeper. It is essential that ED and CBI step in immediately,” he demanded.
