THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On the day he was removed from office, Excise Commissioner Seeram Sambasiva Rao recommended a Vigilance probe against two senior officers over alleged bribery. He also accused the department of bypassing him in transfer decisions.
In a report to the Additional Chief Secretary (Taxes) on Friday, Rao said 32 Excise and Circle Inspectors were transferred on November 4 without his knowledge. Section staff told him that the transfer lists were prepared after consultations with service associations and the Excise Minister’s office.
Rao named Joint Excise Commissioner S Vinod and Alappuzha Deputy Excise Commissioner Ajay and sought a probe under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He also recommended that both officers be shifted from field postings.
According to an informer quoted in the report, Vinod allegedly took Rs 50,000 from Ganga Bar in Muvattupuzha for approvals related to bar timings and licence extension. The informer also alleged that Ajay collected Rs 30,000 from the owner of Roma Centre bar in Kayamkulam during inspections. The report said the bar owner was known to the Excise Minister.
Rao’s report further alleged that Ajay took Rs 1 lakh for a toddy shop licence and owned benami property.
In a separate report submitted the same day, Rao cleared Deputy Commissioners P K Satheesh and P L Shiju, who were suspended by the government on October 31 over bar licence renewals for hotels in Pala, Ernakulam and Muvattupuzha.
Rao said a 2017 government order authorised Deputy Commissioners to restore licences cancelled in 2014 after hotels obtained star status. The officers did not require prior permission to do so. As many as 491 licences had been renewed under this provision since 2017. Finding no corruption, he recommended that the two officers be exonerated.
In a letter dated November 5, Rao also defended the licences granted to airport lounge bars, over which the minister had sought an explanation. The minister had alleged that two licences were granted without the government's knowledge and that proceedings for a third were issued despite instructions to defer decisions until the new liquor policy was finalised.
Rao said the Excise Commissioner had been empowered to grant such licences without prior government approval since 2011. He added that an earlier government letter rejecting an application had not been brought to his notice. After the government's position became clear, he withheld the final licence certificate, and the outlet has not started functioning.