Hyderabad: Jupally Krishna Rao, the Telangana excise minister, dismissed claims made by BRS working president KT Rama Rao about Syed Ali Murtaza Rizvi, the excise principal secretary, seeking early retirement. Rao explained that Rizvi chose to leave for a lucrative offer, earning Rs 10 lakh monthly at AIG Hospitals and receiving proposals from companies in Delhi.
During a media briefing at the Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat on October 23, Rao mentioned writing to the chief secretary to address Rizvi’s negligence and obstruction in government operations.
Rao addressed accusations from KTR about competition over holograms on liquor bottles, dismissing them as false. He explained that the BRS government, since coming to power on July 1, 2014, extended a hologram contract without fresh tenders, worth Rs 40 crore annually. Rao questioned the lack of a tender process in his meetings with excise officials and urged for expressions of interest from companies. He noted that a committee, chaired by Rizvi, was formed to explore better technology.
Despite writing five times between August 13, 2024, and December 9, 2024, to initiate tenders, no meetings took place, and tenders took months to yield presentations from applicants. Rao criticized Rizvi’s delays, which cost the state Rs 230 crore in lost revenue over ten months.
Highlighting the role of ministers and secretaries, Rao emphasized the importance of addressing revenue losses. He humorously commented on the Kalvakuntla family’s involvement in the liquor business, referencing KCR’s family.
