Kochi: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has found that former Excise Minister K. Babu was involved in corruption in giving license to bar and beer and wine parlours. The quick verification report submitted by the VACB in Muvatupuzha Vigilance Court has stated that the former minister had even deviated from the Abkari Policy of the UDF government.
Rejecting the explanations given by Mr. Babu the QVR has leveled a series of charges against the minister in connection with applications for the renewal of licenses for bars, beer and wine parlours that came before him in 2014. The minister was accused of clearing some applications while holding back some others for more than three months.
The VACB has orderd the QVR following a compaint filed by Bar Hotel and Industries Association president VM Radhakrishnan before the vigilance director Jacob Thomas. Referring to the preferential allotment of licenses the report said “the reason for the delay in issuing the final order is part of differential treatments to the applicants where there is element of corruption involved. The involvement of office bearers of KBHA in speeding up or delaying applications cannot be ruled out.”
On deviations from the policy the report stated that the government has issued an order on August 22, 2014 that only hotels having five-star classification would be granted bar licenses under the new liquor policy. The order has also stated that Sundays would be declared a dry day. But the minister deviated from the Abkari policy by another order issued on December 2014.
According to this order FL-11 licenses (beer and wine parlours) was allowed to all bars having F-3 licenses as on March 31, 2014. The Sunday dry day decision was also withdrawn. The report said that it was ‘suspicious’ to have new Abkari policy valid only for three months. The report has cited several such discrepancies in the functioning in the excise department under Mr. Babu.
