Patna,(BiharTimes): Former deputy chief minister, Sushil Kumar Modi, reiterated that the state government had provided the liquor mafia free hand to loot the state. Talking to the media here on Tuesday he said all this is being done at the behest of people close to former chief minister Nitish Kumar, who are posted in the excise department.

The BJP leader alleged that the present chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi is oblivious and unconcerned about this huge scam.He charged the Bihar government with providing Rs 100 crore undue benefit to liquor suppliers by increasing base rates of country liquor in violation of tender conditions.He said the state government has revised the base rate of 200 ml country liquor pouches from Rs 2.66 to 3.04, and of 400 ml pouches from Rs 4.49 to Rs 5.26. This has been done in violation of the short-term tender conditions which would provide over Rs 100 crore undue benefit to liquor manufacturers and suppliers in just 26 days from December 5 to 31. If left unchecked, it would shoot up to Rs 1,000 crore within a year.

Modi, who had served in the Nitish cabinet as deputy CM-cum-finance minister and is well aware of the nuts and bolts of the state government machinery, said the amount was calculated on the basis of Minimum Guaranteed Quota for suppliers, fixed by the excise department on a monthly basis beforehand.SuMo said it was a serious breach of policy and the BJP would raise it in and outside the Assembly.

According to the BJP leader the state government changed the base rates following the demand of liquor manufacturers, who had been seeking a revision because of increase in the price of rectified spirit used in making country liquor.He said a similar demand to revise base rates had been made by country liquor suppliers in 2012. They had moved Patna High Court, but the state government had said in an affidavit that it cannot be done as it would tantamount to financial irregularity.“The Patna High Court had then dismissed the writs filed by liquor suppliers on the ground of affidavit of the state government.

He said, in contrast, this time the government itself violated the conditions of tender, without bothering about financial irregularity.It needs to be mentioned that the Bihar State Beverages Corporation Limited, a state government agency under the excise department, procures all liquor in the state and
distributes it to retailers.