Bengaluru: Opposition leaders in the legislative assembly and council, R Ashoka and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, Sunday alleged a Rs 3,000-crore scam in the excise department, citing a recent Lokayukta raid and accused the govt of collecting bribes to renew liquor licences and issue new permits. While addressing reporters, Ashoka released an audio clip purportedly featuring a stakeholder who spoke about the importance of “Vitamin M” in securing a microbrewery licence without administrative hurdles. Based on the clip, Ashoka alleged bribes of Rs 2.5 crore were being demanded for each licence. “When a Rs 25 lakh bribe was being paid, the Lokayukta SP caught them red-handed,” he claimed. He said the excise department functions under the finance department, making the chief minister directly responsible. “If excise minister RB Timmapur does not resign, we will take it to mean the CM is involved in the scam,” he said. The senior BJP functionaries claimed the total value of the alleged scam stood at Rs 3,567 crore. According to them, 750 CL-7 licences were issued after collecting bribes ranging from Rs 1.2 crore and Rs 1.5 crore, amounting to Rs 1,125 crore in all. They further alleged that 650 CL-2 licences involved bribes of Rs 1.5 crore each, totalling Rs 975 crore, while 92 CL-9 licences were allegedly issued at Rs 1 crore each. Microbreweries, they claimed, were being charged Rs 2.5 crore each for 550 licences, totalling Rs 1,375 crore. They also raised concerns over what they called “rogue behaviour in jails, the prevalence of drug use in Karnataka — which they claimed was as high as 12% among schoolchildren — and alleged threats faced by bureaucrats. “The CM pulled up police in yesterday’s review meeting for having no shame. This follows Maharashtra police arresting people in Karnataka,” Ashoka said. Narayanaswamy added that his party was in possession of documents related to a Rs 1,716-crore tender awarded to a single firm for a 15-year period, and said legal action was being considered in the matter.
