The Congress government in Karnataka is under fire as fresh allegations of corruption have emerged against state Excise Minister RB Timmapur. The Karnataka Wine Merchants’ Association (KWMA) claims that the minister is involved in large-scale corruption to the tune of Rs 300-700 crore in return for issuing illegal licenses. The minister’s office would collect Rs 30-40 lakh for issuing a license, and 1,000 such licenses were given in the last one year, they said. In addition to bribes for issuing illegal licenses, the minister also allegedly collected bribes to grant advantageous transfers to civil servants, the Association claims.

To protest against corruption and mismanagement of the excise department, liquor traders across the state have announced plans to close their shops on November 20.

The KWMA has now called on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who also oversees the Finance Ministry, to take control of the excise department.

In a letter dated October 30, KWMA president S Guruswamy and general secretary B Govindaraj Hegde conveyed these concerns to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Timmapur and other senior officials. They allege that the Excise Department granted 1,000 illegal CL7 bar licenses to hotels and guesthouses across the state, with each license issued for bribes ranging from Rs 30 to 70 lakh. The letter adds that the routine fees for CL7 licenses range from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 8.5 lakh depending on the location of the establishment.

“CL7 bar licenses were granted for an amount between ₹30-70 lakh by the minister, and in the last one year, 1,000 such illegal licenses were granted by the excise minister, for an amount of ₹300 to ₹700 crore in corruption,” the letter said.

The letter further claimed that a deputy commissioner had accepted between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 40 lakh from each officer seeking a favorable transfer. These amounts would total between Rs 2.5 and 3 crore for Bangalore deputy commissioners alone. Despite the association’s multiple appeals and protests, including a large demonstration on October 25 in Bangalore, it claims that Timmapur and the government have not responded.

Amid these allegations, Minister Timmapur, currently campaigning in Shiggaon, has refuted the accusations, attributing them to political motivations. “These allegations are baseless and politically motivated,” he said. He claimed that while some promotions were processed, the transfers were not made for profit.

“When these people do something wrong, the agents harass them. The wine merchants should correct themselves… Although I have approved certain promotions through the appropriate channels, I have not authorized any transfers for the purposes of monetary gain. Transfers were not executed, but routine promotions were handled appropriately. The license renewal process took place without undue pressure or financial demands… Instead of initiating. such unfounded accusations, the association should identify who actually received the payments,” he said.

BJP leader R Ashoka slammed the Congress government, calling the charges a “pattern of corruption” under the administration. In a social media post, Ashoka wrote, “Karnataka Wine Merchants Association, in its letter to CM Siddaramaiah, has alleged that state excise minister RB Timmapur is involved in extortion and blatant bribery, exposing another dark episode in the series of scams by “SCAM”. “Progress Govt in Karnataka.

BJP president BY Vijayendra said, “Under Siddaramaiah, corruption is not just a scandal, it is a way of life. In the latest chapter of its 17-month saga of corruption, the Karnataka Wine Merchants’ Association denounces the incredible extortion racket run by Excise Minister RB Thimmapur.

“This is not your average pay-to-play system. Thimmapur would rake in Rs 180 million annually in ‘hafta’ from liquor outlets – yes, all in the noble name of ‘election purposes’, he said.

“And the best? There is a complete “rate schedule” for bribes! From Rs 30 to Rs 70 lakh to obtain a CL7 bar license to nearly 1,000 illegal licenses issued, this operation is virtually a corruption franchise, raking in Rs 700 crore annually,” he charged.

Vijayendra added that this is nothing short of a list of bribes on an industrial scale. Ironically, Siddaramaiah, who had termed the previous BJP government as ‘40% Sarkara’ based on baseless allegations, is now remaining silent on this staggering Rs 500 crore per year corruption case against his minister filed by the Association wine merchants of Karnataka.

With IANS entries