Former minister Harish Rao has made serious allegations regarding irregularities in the allotment of microbrewery licenses in Telangana. Speaking during a recent interaction, he claimed that out of 110 applications received for microbreweries across the state, only 25 permissions were decided to be granted. He alleged that 21 of these were allotted under the quota of a top leader while the remaining 4 came under the Excise Minister’s quota.
Harish Rao pointed to a particular leader who is frequently seen as a shadow of the top leader, living in and around his residence. He stated that this individual has been in the news recently and his car goes straight into the top leader’s residence. The former minister noted that during the recent Tirupati visit of the top leader, this person was constantly by his side, suggesting his close proximity to power.
The BRS leader alleged that the price fixed for each microbrewery license is ₹1 crore 80 lakh. According to his claims, ₹1.50 crore goes to the top leader and ₹30 lakh to his close aide, the same shadow figure he mentioned earlier. He questioned why a transparent lottery system, similar to wine shop allotments, was not conducted when 110 applications were received, instead of making discretionary allotments.
Harish Rao highlighted unprecedented financial irregularities in the state’s liquor supply chain. He stated that for the first time in history, liquor supply companies are owed dues of ₹4,500 crore by the state government. Some of these dues have been pending for more than 16 months, a situation he claimed never occurred during the BRS government, when payments were cleared within 15 days.
The former minister warned that these payment delays have already resulted in Breezer stopping supplies, and many liquor shops across the state are facing stock shortages. He mentioned that other multinational companies have written to the government, warning that they too may halt supplies. According to Harish Rao, these pending bills are due to disputes in sharing of commissions, and more brands may stop supplies in the coming days, which will further reduce government revenue.
Harish Rao accused the government of prioritising beer companies over farmers, particularly citing the situation in Medak and Sangareddy districts. He stated that crop holiday has been declared for 40,000 acres under the Singur project in Sangareddy district and for another 30,000 acres under the Ghanpur ayacut in Medak district, ostensibly for repairs to the Singur Dam.
Despite these crop holidays affecting farmers, Harish Rao alleged that there is no restriction on water supply to beer companies in Sangareddy district. He questioned whether this is a government for liquor manufacturers or for farmers, highlighting what he sees as a clear priority given to the beverage industry over agriculture.
The BRS leader revealed that the Special Chief Secretary of the Excise Department visited Sangareddy district and held a meeting with irrigation officials. According to Harish Rao, instructions were given to stop water supply to farmers and ensure there is no shortage of water for beer companies. He also mentioned that earlier, hologram tenders were stalled due to pressure from the top leader’s son-in-law and the minister’s son.
