Key Points
- The Karnataka Wine Merchants’ Association has accused Excise Minister RB Thimmapur of corruption and bribery.
- The association claims Rs 16 crore was collected for the transfer of excise officials.
- Illegal CL7 liquor licenses were issued for bribes ranging from Rs 30-70 lakh, totaling Rs 300-700 crore in corruption.
- Approximately 1,000 illegal licenses were granted in the last year alone.
- The association has written to the Chief Minister and Lokayukta to address the corruption.
Looma News
The Karnataka Wine Merchants’ Association has raised serious allegations of corruption against the state’s Excise Minister, RB Thimmapur, and his department. In a letter sent to the Chief Minister, the Lokayukta, and Raj Bhavan, the association accused Thimmapur and excise officials of taking bribes and engaging in money laundering. The letter claims that the minister demanded bribes to approve transfers of excise officers, with a total sum of Rs 16 crore allegedly collected for the transfers of several high-ranking officials, including three deputy commissioners and 20 excise inspectors.
The association also claimed that excise officials were openly extorting money from liquor outlets, especially for the issuance of CL7 liquor licenses. These licenses, which are given to hotels and boarding houses, allegedly required bribes of Rs 30-70 lakh, violating legal procedures. In the past year alone, the letter states, around 1,000 illegal CL7 licenses were granted, generating a corrupt sum ranging from Rs 300 crore to Rs 700 crore.
The Wine Merchants’ Association has urged the Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, to take immediate action to curb the corruption and reduce the bribe amount for CL7 licenses, which is said to range from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 75 lakh per license. The association’s president, S Guruswamy, directly blamed Minister Thimmapur for the illegal activities, calling on authorities to investigate and hold accountable those involved in the corruption.
