Seeram submits report alleging serious corruption in excise department before exit

Thiruvananthapuram: Soon after being removed from the post of Excise Commissioner, Seeram Sambasiva Rao has levelled serious bribery allegations against officials of the department. In a report submitted to the government, he alleged that officials had been regularly accepting bribes from bar owners and recommended their removal from their posts. The report also states that he had not committed any corruption in granting bar licences.

The report submitted by Seeram Sambasiva Rao before stepping down contains details of serious corruption in the Excise Department. It alleges that officials Vinod and Deputy Commissioner Ajay had accepted bribes. Both had allegedly been regularly collecting money from bar owners. Vinod had received Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000 from bar owners on several occasions.

The report further states that the two officials had committed irregularities in granting toddy shop licences and accepted bribes for issuing licences. Ajay had also reportedly taken bars on lease and operated them in Kottayam. The officials were allegedly collecting monthly payments from bars.

They had also received money on special occasions such as Onam. Bar owners reportedly recorded these monthly payments in their expense statements under the heading 'Santhosham' (happiness). The report recommends a Vigilance investigation against the officials facing allegations and their removal.

Sambasiva Rao, in his report, maintained that he had not committed any irregularities in granting licences. He also gave a clean chit to the officials who had been suspended in connection with the issue. He stated that he had the authority to grant licences under the rules and that prior government approval was not required.

Action had been taken against two Deputy Commissioners over the reclassification of licences. P. Shibu and PK Satheesh were suspended. Sambasiva Rao had also submitted an investigation report concerning them, stating that they had not committed any irregularities. He recommended that their suspension be revoked.