HYDERABAD: A day after Telangana government notified the voluntary retirement of senior IAS officer Syed Ali Murtaza Rizvi, serving as Principal Secretary (Excise), reports surfaced about his alleged differences with Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao over high-security liquor hologram tenders. The officer, known for his integrity, cited personal reasons for seeking voluntary retirement.
Notwithstanding this, Minister Jupally Krishna Rao lodged a complaint with the Chief Secretary against Rizvi, accusing him of deliberately delaying the tender process for high-security holograms affixed to sealed liquor bottles.
The delay allegedly allowed an existing vendor—operating since 2019 without competition—to continue supplying labels used to track liquor from distilleries to retail outlets, a key mechanism to prevent tax evasion and counterfeit sales.
The Minister claimed Rizvi ignored multiple directives between August 2024 and April 2025 to expedite tenders. Despite reminders to issue an Expression of Interest (EoI) through the designated Expert Committee, Rizvi allegedly bypassed ministerial authority by routing files to the Chief Minister.
Even after 23 firms submitted bids by April 2025, the process reportedly remained stalled.
In a letter to the Chief Secretary on Wednesday, the Minister alleged misconduct, urging the government to reject Rizvi’s VRS and initiate disciplinary action under Section 221 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for obstructing public service. Rizvi’s voluntary retirement is effective October 31.
Meanwhile, the Opposition BRS, grabbed the opportunity ahead of bypoll to Jubilee Hills Assembly segment. The BRS alleged the involvement of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s son-in-law in the controversy.
BRS spokesperson Manne Krishank posted on X: “Ministers are accusing each other of commissions in contracts. A Principal Secretary–rank IAS officer has been forced to take voluntary retirement 10 years before his service period ends because of a Rs 500 crore hologram contract between the Excise Minister’s son and the CM’s son-in-law. Industrialists are being threatened with guns by top government officials."
He further accused the Congres of targetting Maganti Sunitha, wife of deceased MLA Maganthi Gopinath. He alleged that the Congress, on the day of nomination scrutiny, gave a letter to the Returning Officer claiming that Sunitha is not Gopinath's wife.
"First, Congress ministers called her tears fake, then filed police cases against their 21-year-old daughter, and now attacking a woman’s modesty is the lowest level of Congress politics," he wrote.
