CPM seeks probe into alleged irregularities in Periyar Arivulagam book purchase

CHENNAI: The CPM on Friday demanded a special investigation into alleged irregularities in the procurement of books for the Periyar Arivulagam library in Coimbatore, alleging large-scale financial and intellectual fraud in the project.

In a statement, CPM state secretary P Shanmugam said the allegations raised by writer Perumal Murugan had pointed to planned irregularities in book procurement, with government rules and guidelines allegedly not followed.

He said Periyar Arivulagam, spread across seven acres and housed in a seven-storey building, was constructed at a cost of around Rs 300 crore during the previous DMK regime. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay inaugurated the facility on October 16, 2026.

Shanmugam said allegations that public money had been squandered through improper procurement were a matter of serious concern. He also alleged that books containing content that did not meet intellectual standards had been produced and stocked in the library, amounting to fraud at the intellectual level.

Questioning the procurement process, he sought details of the committee that recommended books for the library, the basis on which it approved the purchase of allegedly substandard and fictitious books, the officials and others responsible for the irregularities, and the dates on which tenders were floated and purchases made.

The CPM state committee urged the state government to constitute a panel comprising Tamil scholars to examine all books in the library and remove those found to be fake. It also demanded a special investigation team to probe the alleged irregularities and initiate action against everyone responsible.

The party further urged the government to ensure that prescribed rules and guidelines were strictly followed in procuring books for public libraries and that the process was continuously monitored.