MK Stalin to move court demanding Lokayukta in TN

Chennai: M.K. Stalin, the Leader of Opposition, demanded the formation of Lokayukta to check corruption in the state. He said on Saturday that his party would move the court if its demand was not met by the state government.

Alleging rampant corruption in the state by the ministers, including Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, he said Lokayukta had become very important for the state.

A case had been filed by a contractor in Madras High Court against higher education minister K.P. Anbazhagan alleging that he demanded bribe for issuing a tender. The Income-Tax department had unearthed a document as evidence for corruption charges against health minister C. Vijayabaskar. A diary had also been found showing that bribes had been taken by Vijayabaskar and police officials to illegally sell gutka.

In a list found by the Income-Tax department on distribution of money to voters during RK Nagar bypoll, the names of CM besides ministers D. Jayakumar, K.A. Sentottaiyan, P. Thangamani and S.P. Thangamani popped up. The Supreme Court itself had ordered the filing of a case against minister R. Kamaraj and there are charges against sminister V. Saroja that she demanded Rs 30 lakh bribe for regularising a job, he alleged.

There are corruption charges against many officials and police officers too, but no action had been taken against those facing corruption charges.