Feb 17:Telugu Desam leader N. Chandrababu Naidu, his party MLA from Vizag East, Mr V.R.K. Babu’s name figures in the ACB report on the city’s liquor syndicates.

According to accounts found on the premises of the Janapriya Syndicate, the ACB, in its scrutiny report prepared by DSP K.V.R.K. Prasad on January 23, says that the syndicate spent Rs 21,800 on August 26 and Rs 17,000 on September 1 to fly its members to Hyderabad along with Vizag East MLA V.R.K. Babu. During the two trips, according to the ACB report, the legislator flew to Hyderabad along with K.V.R. Prasad of the Janapriya Syndicate and Pushkara Ganesh of the Ganesh Syndicate.The report alleged that V.R.K. Babu, who is also believed to be associated with some liquor shops, flew to Hyderabad along with the syndicate members to bribe the excise minister.It is known that V.R.K. Babu is very close to the Janapriya Syndicate.During the two trips, the syndicate leaders along with Babu approached excise minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana in Hyderabad and gave him Rs 25 lakh so that they can sell liquor at more than the MRP, YSRCP, city convenor Vamsi Krishna Yadav said.TD task force to unearth liquor scamDC CorrespondentHyderabad, Feb. 16The Telugu Desam president, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, is in hot pursuit of those involved in the liquor scandal. TD sources said Mr Naidu had collected the remand reports of liquor syndicates in Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam, Guntur, Nellore, and Srikakulam besides gathering information about syndicates in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy and other districts.Mr Naidu has set up a task force to unearth info about Congress leaders’ involvement in the liquor scam and to use it against the Kiran Kumar Reddy government.“We have collected remand reports from eight districts and have asked local leaders to get reports from other districts,” a TD source told this newspaper.It is learnt Mr Naidu appointed about six leaders in every district to collect as much information as possible on liquor syndicates like the involvement of political leaders in the business, including his own party leaders from Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam, where the PCC chief, Mr Botsa Satyanarayana, has stakes.The recent exposure of the involvement of excise minister, Mr Mopidevi Venkataramana’s son Rajeev in the liquor business despite strong denials is a result of the TD’s ‘hot pursuit’.According to sources, about a dozen TD MLAs have links with the liquor business apart from other leaders.

Mr Naidu said he would continue to fight liquor syndicates till the government places all ACB reports before the Assembly, sacks tainted ministers and ends the liquor mafia.Quoting an ACB report which he said ran into 1,200 pages, he said the names of 140 politicians, 20 ministers, 1,200 excise officials, and journalists were among others mentioned.When told that several TD MLAs and other leaders were also involved in the scam, he said he would take action against them after getting official confirmations.Dismissing PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana’s allegation against him, he said the PCC chief himself admitted he owned 31 shops. “Is he fit to be PCC chief?” he asked.Expressing fear that the ACB report will be tampered like the Polavaram tender documents, he said the Chief Minister’s bluff on Polavaram was finally exposed.

“The CM called up some newspapers and planted reports that his government saved Rs 600 crore in the Polavaram tenders and the amount was sufficient for the Re 1-a-kg rice scheme. Why did he cancel it now?” he asked.