IAS Officer vs Minister Over Liquor Hologram Tender In Telangana

Senior IAS officer Syed Ali Murtaza Rizvi, serving as Revenue Secretary (Commercial Taxes and Excise) in Telangana, has opted for voluntary retirement (VRS) with eight years remaining service, triggering speculation across bureaucratic and political circles.

Though Rizvi has not disclosed the reasons behind his decision, official sources suggest growing friction between him and Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao is the reason behind the senior bureaucrat's exit from governance.

There have been differences between the Excise Minister and the Excise Secretary over the pending High-Security Hologram tender, which is used for the tracking and authentication of liquor bottles across Telangana.

A letter written by Jupally Krishna Rao to Chief Secretary K Rama Krishna Rao has surfaced, in which he accused Rizvi of deliberately stalling the tender process for Rs 100 crore worth of High-Security Holograms project and allowing an old vendor, whose contract expired in June 2019, to continue supplying holograms without competition for more than six years.

The Minister in his letter advised the government to reject Rizvi's VRS request and initiate disciplinary and legal action.

Rizvi, a 2001-batch IAS officer known for his administrative efficiency, was transferred four times within two years once Congress took over power from BRS.

Sources said the frequent transfers and ministerial pressure forced Rizvi to opt for a voluntary retirement.

Amid the allegation of misconduct, the state government has accepted Rizvi's voluntary retirement, effective October 31, 2025.

On Wednesday, an official order placed M Raghunandan Rao, IAS (2002), Commissioner of Commercial Taxes, in Full Additional Charge (FAC) of Secretary to Government, Revenue (Commercial Taxes & Excise), succeeding Rizvi.