Tonique liquor shop controversy sparks questions over Jubilee Hills allocation
Hyderabad: The Excise Department faced questions over the allocation of a Tonique liquor shop in Jubilee Hills after a reported government inquiry flagged revenue concerns.
The outlet had the potential to generate huge profits, according to the source report. It alleged that officials secretly facilitated the shop for a close associate of a ruling party leader.
Meanwhile, Namaste Telangana published a special report on Friday titled “Tonic Nazarana to a friend of a leader”. The report examined the alleged handling of the high-value liquor shop allocation.
The controversy subsequently created a stir at the State Secretariat. The Excise Department then issued a rebuttal seeking to justify the process followed in allocating the shop.
Excise officer Jeevan Kiran issued the response in the name of the Secunderabad District Prohibition and Excise Department officer. However, the source report noted that the letter carried neither his name nor his signature.
The government had already disclosed details from an initial internal inquiry into the matter, according to the report. That inquiry reportedly indicated that the state government faced a potentially huge revenue loss.
The Excise Department said officials had displayed the gazette notification on several notice boards. These included the Secunderabad District Prohibition and Excise Officer’s office, Hyderabad Deputy Commissioner’s office and Hyderabad Commissioner’s office.
The Jubilee Hills Station House Officer’s office also displayed the notification, according to the department’s rebuttal. However, questions remained about the manner and duration of the public notice.
The source report said the government’s preliminary inquiry revealed a different picture. Officials allegedly placed the gazette copy on the boards only to create evidence and photographed it within minutes.
According to the report, officials then removed the copies from the notice boards. The episode raised questions about whether the department had genuinely informed potential applicants about the shop.
Tonique liquor shop notice board claims face scrutiny
The report questioned why officials did not issue a press release for a shop capable of generating substantial income. It also asked why the Excise Department did not publish the information through its official portal.
The Excise Department’s explanation did not provide answers to those questions, according to the source. As a result, concerns over transparency remained despite the rebuttal.
In addition, traders questioned the 6 applications received for the lottery. They alleged that all the applications were benami submissions linked to the same business group and followers of the main leader.
The source report said an impartial examination of the applications would make their alleged connections clear. It identified the lottery applications as another issue requiring scrutiny.
The controversy therefore focused on the transparency of the Tonique liquor shop allocation. It also raised questions about public notification, notice-board displays and the lottery process.
Meanwhile, the reported government findings added to concerns over possible revenue losses. The Excise Department continued to rely on its claim that officials had formally displayed the gazette notification.
The matter also drew attention to the role of Excise officials in allocating a potentially lucrative liquor outlet. The source report said the government had already examined the issue internally.