CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday accused the DMK government of misusing panchayat secretaries and personnel engaged under the 125-day employment guarantee scheme for electioneering in support of the ruling party.
In a statement, Palaniswami said credible reports from across Tamil Nadu indicated that, following instructions from district-level authorities, panchayat secretaries, field-level officers and workers under the 125-day scheme were being sent door to door to campaign in favour of the DMK government. “This is a blatant misuse of government machinery for partisan political gain. Officials meant to serve the people are being turned into tools of DMK propaganda,” he said.
The Opposition leader said panchayat secretaries play a key role in rural administration and development, while workers under the employment scheme are tasked with meeting basic needs in villages. Diverting them for election-related work was not only unethical but unlawful, he alleged. “The DMK government is converting welfare schemes into political instruments. This is a direct violation of democratic principles and administrative neutrality,” he charged.
Palaniswami urged immediate action against district collectors and other officials who were facilitating or allowing the use of panchayat secretaries and 125-day scheme workers for political campaigning. “Those who misuse their official positions to serve the DMK’s election interests will be held accountable,” he said.
He demanded that the government immediately stop deploying government staff and scheme workers for election propaganda and allow them to carry out their legitimate duties in serving the people of Tamil Nadu.