The sudden decision of a senior IAS officer to seek voluntary retirement, following alleged harassment by the Excise Minister J Krishna Rao, has triggered a political row in Telangana.
The Principal Secretary (Commercial Taxes and Excise), Syed Ali Murtaza Rizvi, known for his integrity and uprightness, stunned the bureaucratic and political circles when he sought voluntary retirement, despite nearly a decade of service left.
While the official cited personal reasons for his decision, the Excise Minister accused him of misconduct, disobedience and dereliction of duty. The development shed light on alleged irregularities in the allotment of Excise tenders and political interference in key administrative decisions.
The Minister went a step further and urged the Chief Secretary to reject the senior bureaucrat’s application, claiming the officer’s actions might attract criminal liability.
However, the government accepted Rizvi’s VRS application and appointed Commercial Tax Commissioner M Raghunandan Rao as full additional in-charge.
At the heart of the dispute is the tender process for high-security holograms and 2D barcodes to be affixed on liquor bottles to enable tracking and tracing of liquor sales. The project, estimated to be worth nearly ₹100 crore, had reportedly drawn interest from individuals with political backing. The Minister is said to have directed Rizvi to expedite the process.
Despite 23 companies expressing interest, Rizvi, who chaired the Expert Committee, allegedly failed to take any action.
“Apart from the entire process of calling tenders getting totally laid off, the existing supplier is permitted to supply the holograms, though his term expired in 2019, raising different doubts,” the Minister stated in the letter, adding that several other issues established ‘grave misconduct and violation of provisions of criminal law, including disobedience of the lawful authority of the government’.
However, questions are being raised as to why the Minister did not flag these alleged irregularities earlier. Observers point out that his letter came just a day after the State government formally notified Rizvi’s VRS application, triggering speculation about the timing and motive.
“As per the Business Rules, the orders of the Minister were final and binding on the official,” Krishna Rao stated in his letter.
The Minister further claimed that Rizvi failed to share the draft Expression of Interest (EoI) despite repeated instructions.
“In view of the alleged grave misconduct, please take steps to ensure that the VRS application is rejected and not approved,” Krishna Rao wrote to the Chief Secretary.
The latest row adds to the growing list of controversies involving tender allocations across departments.
Mafia-style governance
The opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president, KT Rama Rao, accused the ruling Congress of running the state like a ‘mafia gang’. “Senior IAS and IPS officers are fleeing the system, forced to take voluntary retirement to escape the mafia-style governance. This gang under Revanth Reddy’s leadership has made honest governance impossible,” KTR said.
“Rizvi is known for his integrity and honesty. But unable to withstand the political pressure in a ₹500-crore tender fight between the Chief Minister’s son-in-law and Minister Jupally Krishna Rao’s son, he was forced to quit,” KTR alleged.
“This shows the rot in the system. The Congress government has crossed every line of decency and morality,” he said, warning bureaucrats not to become partners in the loot and anarchy of the Congress government.
Also read: Telangana's groundwater pollution raises alarm
Follow us
