ED arrests former Chhattisgarh CMO Deputy Secretary in liquor scam probe

The Hindu
The Hindu
8h ago
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Chhattisgarh's ED arrested a former CMO official in a ₹2,500 crore liquor scam involving top political figures from 2019-2022.
ED arrests former Chhattisgarh CMO Deputy Secretary in liquor scam probe
A What happened
The Enforcement Directorate arrested Soumya Chaurasia, a former Deputy Secretary in Chhattisgarh’s Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), in connection with a ₹2,500 crore liquor scam under the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government between 2019 and 2022. The scam is alleged to have caused significant losses to the state exchequer by enabling a syndicate to illegally profit from liquor sales, with connections to high-level political figures including Congress MLA and former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma and Chaitanya Baghel, son of the ex-CM. The investigation reveals systemic corruption in state administration, with multiple arrests and asset attachments.
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Key insights

  • 1

    Entrenched political corruption risks undermining public trust: The repeated arrests of high-level officials and politicians suggest deep-seated corruption embedded within Chhattisgarh's government apparatus, challenging governance and anti-corruption frameworks.

  • 2

    Corruption linked to revenue-generating sectors inflates state financial losses: The liquor and coal levy scams highlight how exploitation of excise duties by political syndicates can cause multi-crore fiscal losses, affecting overall state development and public welfare.

Takeaways

The liquor scam probe underscores persistent governance issues in Chhattisgarh, with ongoing efforts needed to dismantle corrupt networks entrenched in public administration.

Topics

World & Politics Policy & Regulation Governance Corruption & Accountability