
Amaravati: A significant scam in the Excise Department has come to light, involving former government officials and the supply of liquor with fake hologram stickers. Investigations suggest that liquor bottles were moved directly from production companies to shops, bypassing official depots.
Vigilance investigations have exposed that tenders for hologram stickers on 13.68 lakh bottles of liquor and beer per year were falsified. It was discovered that hologram tenders were awarded in violation of rules. Vasudeva Reddy, the former MD of Beverages Corporation, was found to have awarded these tenders to companies lacking proper experience certificates.
Further, it was revealed that tenders were granted without necessary GST transaction information and previous business details. Key information related to hologram tenders was found missing, and there was no authorized signature on the technical committee’s report during the tender finalization. Additionally, the minutes from the technical committee meetings were also unaccounted for.
This scam highlights the need for stricter oversight and transparency within the Excise Department to prevent such fraudulent activities in the future.