Hyderabad: The voluntary retirement of senior IAS officer Syed Ali Murtaza Rizvi on Wednesday, October 22, with nearly a decade of service remaining, has sparked rumours that the action was prompted due to a tiff with state excise minister Jupally Krishna Rao, over liquor bottle hologram tenders.
The excise minister, on the same day as the government approved Rizvi’s retirement, lodged a complaint with the chief secretary to the state government, K Rama Krishna Rao, accusing Rizvi of deliberately stalling the tender process for the holograms. He demanded that action be taken against the IAS officer for misconduct and reject his VRS.
In the letter, the minister alleged Rizvi has been stalling the tender process since 2019, due to which the previous supplier, whose contract expired on June 30, 2019, is still supplying the holograms.
These high-security holograms are affixed to liquor bottles by the excise department to prevent the supply of non-duty-paid or spurious liquor. The department, in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, had awarded tenders for these holograms in August 2013.
After the formation of Telangana, these tenders were given to the same suppliers from July 2014 to June 2019.
Laying down the incidents in a chronological manner, the minister claimed that on August 13, 2024, he directed Rizvi, who was serving as the principal secretary (Excise), to expedite the hologram tender process and invite Expression of Interest (EoI) to secure the best available technology.
These orders were reiterated on September 24, 2024. Three days later, Rizvi asked to be removed as the chairman of the expert committee appointed for the hologram tenders.
On December 9, 2024, Rizvi bypassed the minister and sent the file directly to the chief minister for circulation, allegedly violating Business Rule 22(A).
In April this year, an EoI was issued by the Excise Commissioner, and 23 firms responded, but Rizvi allegedly failed to initiate evaluation.
On October 22, the excise minister levelled allegations of misconduct against him.
Minister Jupally Krishna Rao has accused the IAS officer of defying repeated ministerial orders, delaying and obstructing the tender process, allowing expired contractors to continue without authority and failing to uphold administrative propriety and transparency. He demanded action against Rizvi under the All India Services (conduct) rules, 1968 and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 221.
BRS accuses Congress of ‘harassing’ officers
Meanwhile, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KTR has alleged that IAS and IPS officers are being “harassed” under the Congress government.
“IAS officials are fleeing, saying they don’t want any share in their loot panchayats and that they have no connection to it….It is because of harassing IAS and IPS officials to do wrongful tasks that Mr. Rizvi is taking VRS today.” stated an X post by the BRS.
The senior IAS officer opted for voluntary retirement from service on Wednesday. Though has not disclosed the reasons for his decision, speculation is rife that it was influenced by frequent transfers. He was shifted four times within two years.
