AP Prohibition and Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana faces yet another setback with the Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy staying the transfers of excise officials cleared by the minister. Kiran Kumar Reddy has reportedly directed excise commissioner Sameer Sharma against relieving senior officials who were recently transferred by the excise minister.

Sources said that the CM took the decision following inputs from the intelligence wing that huge sums of money had changed hands over these transfers. The CM acted after learning about the ACB's move to include Mopidevi's name in the remand report following the revelation by a liquor merchant that he had paid Rs 10 lakh to the minister. The issue of controversial transfers effected by Mopidevi came to light only after ACB named the minister in last week's remand report.

Six excise superintendents and three assistant commissioners earned transfers between January 9 and 12 through two different GOs. Of the six excise superintendents who were transferred, two were placed in Guntur. While SVVN Babji Rao of Palasa in Srikakulam has been transferred to Guntur (headquarters), Amalapuram excise superintendent David Ravikanth was m moved to Tenali. KAB Sastry was transferred from Tirupati to Eluru while K Hemanth Nagaraj has been shifted from Rajahmundry to Gajuwaka. G Anjan Rao of Mahbubnagar was transferred to Saroornagar from where Harikishan was moved to Sangareddy.