Liquor Mafia: CM To Convene Meeting

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, on Friday, assured an all-party delegation that he would convene an all-party meeting to discuss the liquor syndicate issue in Andhra Pradesh.

The Chief Minister gave this assurance when a delegation comprising leaders of the Telugu Desam Party, Communist Party of India and Lok Satta, met him at the Camp Office, seeking a cancellation of the transfer orders of Anti Corruption Bureau Additional Director Srinivasa Reddy to Customs Security.

The delegation appealed to the CM to suspend his transfer orders till 16 April, to facilitate the submission of the ACB's interim report on the liquor syndicate issue to the court.

Later, briefing the media about the meeting, TDP leader Motkupalli Narasimhulu accused the government of transferring Srinivasa Reddy only to water down the ACB report against Transport Minister Botsa Satyanarayana.

The delegation alleged that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and in-charge of State affairs Ghulam Nabi Azad have been making deliberate attempts to shield Botsa Satyanarayana from the liquor syndicate scam.

However, the CM rubbished their allegations, and said that ACB has several efficient officials to continue the probe into the issue.

Later, in protest against the CM's response, the TDP leaders staged a dharna in front his Camp Office.

The delegation also demanded that the CM order a probe into land allotments in AP following the revelations made in the CAG report.

The all-party leaders demanded that the government recover the land allotted to industries, and punish the officials who were responsible for the misappropriations.

They also appealed to Kiran Kumar Reddy to revoke the orders increasing the power tariff, as, they said, it would put additional burden on consumers.

Communist Party of India state secretary K Narayana was also part of the delegation. (INN)