On the back foot following the registering of a first information report (FIR) against him by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) in the case relating to grant of bar and beer parlour licences during 2011-16, former Excise Minister K. Babu has sought to repudiate all charges against him and alleged a conspiracy behind the development.
Speaking to the mediaperons here on Saturday, he discarded the FIR as baseless and fallout of political vendetta.
“They completed recording my statement on July 19 by 5 p.m. and registered the FIR on July 21, completing all procedures in just about two days. I think they are working as per a predestined script,” Mr. Babu said.
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Claiming that he never exercised his discretionary powers to issue licences, Mr. Babu said there was not a single instance in which he overshot the prevailing liquor policy or the rules. “Is it possible to hijack the powers of the excise commissioner in a State like Kerala?” he asked, maintaining that he was only following the precedent set over a quarter century.
On the charge that the frequent change in liquor policy was to make room for corruption, he said the UDF government’s liquor policy was aimed at the wellbeing of the people. “All policy decisions, including those to close Bevco outlets in a phased manner, restrict liquor licence to five-star hotels and to issue beer and wine licences, were taken by the coalition and passed by the Cabinet. They were not my individual decisions.”
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Mr. Babu cited a High Court order to defend himself against the accusation that some Bevco outlets were closed by him to help a few bar hotels.
“The High Court had thrown out a petition challenging the decision to close 10 per cent of Bevco outlets each year.”
He said that most Bevco outlets were located in the vicinity of bar hotels. “I had not gone out of the way to close any. Some individuals, including then Education Minister and organisations, had petitioned me to close Bevco outlets.”