BJP alleges multi-crore excise scam in Karnataka, demands minister's resignation

Bengaluru (PTI): Opposition BJP on Tuesday demanded the immediate resignation of Excise Minister R B Timmapur, alleging multi crore scam in his department.

The party also sought for a probe into the allegation.

Leading the charge in the Assembly, Leader of Opposition R Ashoka alleged that in the Excise Department, bribes are being taken for granting licenses and for facilitating transfers.

He said, related audio recordings have been released, and complaints have been filed with the Lokayukta.

Ashoka also showed three pen drives in the House, purportedly containing audio evidence to substantiate his allegation.

"There is so much misappropriation in this department. The wine merchants association have said that Minister Thimmapur is unfit to head the department, he is looting money and everything should be handed over to the finance department, if not they will (merchants) be finished. They have even threatened to go on a strike against the harassment they are undergoing," Ashoka said.

Minister Thimmapur rejected the allegations and declined to resign.

The scam that has come to notice is to the tune of about Rs 6,000 crore, Ashoka alleged and said, there are newspaper articles and editorials regarding this.

"I have given evidence, cited complaints filed at Lokayukta in this regard, shared pen drive containing audios. The money looted has gone to which state election? Where has it gone? This needs to be investigated. I urge that the minister should resign and an investigation should be done," he added.

Alleging that the Excise Department is the No. 1 department in corruption, the opposition leader said, irregularities are taking place in forms such as bribes for licenses and amounts are fixed for transfers.

The minister is silent about the scam in the excise department as he is receiving monthly fees from officials, he alleged.

Wine merchants’ association President Guruswamy has made a statement in the press that he will complain to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi about the illegalities in the department, Ashoka said.

"According to him (Guruswamy) money is collected in the department by giving a target every year. Starting from the license, at all stages one has to pay money. It was found that the excise DC was taking bribes while issuing licenses. Bribes are taken by senior to junior officials. A complaint has been made to the chief minister in this regard," he said.

"Two thousand CL-7 liquor shops have been given and Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore bribe has been collected per licence. Bribes are collected for new licences, renewals, shifting of the shop and name change. If the bribe is not paid on the 10th of every month, the shop owners are harassed, according to Guruswamy," he added, pointing out that Guruswamy, who is a long time associate of the CM and hails from his native, has said that Siddaramaiah now lacks the assertiveness he had earlier to control such activities.

Ashoka said, following the allegations against him, Thimmapur had recently claimed that some people were misusing his and his son's name, while also expressing suspicion about involvement of "some own people" behind it.

"He (Thimmapur) had also said that such scams are there in all departments, but he was being targeted as he was a Dalit," Ashoka said, as he hit out at the minister for trying to take shelter in the name of being a Dalit.

Highlighting that audio recordings have surfaced regarding the scam, the BJP leader said, they contain evidence for allegations against Thimmapura and his son. However, the minister says that it is not him.

"There are a total of 14,229 establishments that sell liquor. But. there are not so many primary health centers in the state. According to a complaint, every month, on an average Rs 10,000-15,000 bribes are being collected from a shop -- though the amount is even higher for larger establishments. That is, on average, Rs 21 crore per month and Rs 252 crore per year," he said.

Lokayukta police had recently caught Jagadeesh Naik, Excise Deputy Commissioner (Bengaluru Urban District), Thammanna K M Superintendent of Excise, and excise constable Lakkappa Gani, "red-handed", while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 25 lakh.

They were accused of demanding Rs 80 lakh to issue CL-7 (Hotels & Boarding Houses) and micro brewery licence from an applicant.

Senior BJP MLA Araga Jnanendra too said the scam in the excise department is a black mark on this government, and to come out of it, there should be an inquiry and the minister should resign.

He also hit out at Thimmapur for trying to take shelter, by claiming that he was being targeted, as he was a Dalit.