EPS meets Governor with complaint against govt

Chennai: Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Edappadi K Palaniswami called on the Governor R N Ravi at the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday, complaining about the alleged deterioration of law and order, a rise in corruption and the sale of liquor at higher rates round the clock in the State and demanded appropriate action against the DMK government.

The eight-page memorandum submitted by Palaniswami said that since the AIADMK was devoted to the welfare of the people, it was its responsibility and duty to bring the ‘failure of the State government’ to the Governor’s notice.

It said the deterioration of law and order in the last 18 months had jeopardized the safety and security of the people and cited incidents like the cylinder blast at Coimbatore on October 23 and the mysterious death of a school student at a private school in Kallakurichi district on July 13, besides the reported increase in drug abuse among students.

Charging that corruption was rampant in the State, Palaniswami said government hospitals were facing a shortage of basic medicine and life-saving drugs, funds were diverted from local bodies and money was swindled through the issue of various contracts, including those  for putting up advertisements, through liquor sales and through the setting up of storm water drains.

The reasons for the repeated failure in maintaining law and order was due to the excessive interest and engagement shown by the government, leading to inefficiency in the police force that had failed in its responsibility and was foisting false cases against AIADMK members and leaders, he said.

‘Corruption - Collection – Commission’ was the norm in all the departments, which needed the intervention of the ‘Constitutional Head of the State,’ he said, alleging that the shortage of drugs was due to the greed of the people in power that had left the authorities waiting for instructions to finalize tenders for purchase of medicines.

Accusing the government of illegally diverting funds, allotted to the local bodies, to the account of  “The Commissioner, RD & PR  Saithapet, Chennai,” he said contractors putting up flex display boards for local bodies were being paid Rs 7906 for one board while the real cost was just Rs 350.

‘The extent of commission that is being demanded at various levels of the government has resulted in several contractors from the state finding gainful employment  in other states while our state is left at the mercy of contractors who work for the benefit of the persons in power,’ Palaniswami said and cited an example of a contractor close to a Minister being paid for a work that he
never did.  

The  present government, ‘true to its legacy and historical background,’  had innovated a steady means of corruption using TASMAC outlets that were flourishing with bars, operated illegally by the ‘yes-men and henchmen of the party in power,’ he said 

Distilleries were supplying large quantities of liquor that were not counted under  the excise mechanism, causing a huge loss to the exchequer and the construction of storm water drain was started without a detailed project report or plan, which was yet another example of a well-oiled corrupt machinery in the State, he said.

The reason for the increase in corruption was the denial of independence to investigative agencies, which in turn had led to the failure of law and order, he said, regretting that the Lokayukta appointed by the previous AIADMK government had been rendered inactive after May 2021.