CHENNAI: Leader of the Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday submitted a dossier to Governor RN Ravi, alleging large-scale corruption, financial mismanagement and systemic irregularities amounting to Rs 4 lakh crore during the 56 months of the DMK government, and demanded an immediate and comprehensive investigation.
After submitting the dossier to the gubernatorial head, Palaniswami said the ruling party had been indulging in corruption from the day it assumed office, functioning “like a private corporate syndicate rather than a democratic government”. He claimed that detailed documents, including department-wise estimates of alleged corruption and supporting material, have been handed over to the Governor, seeking decisive action.
He alleged that Tamil Nadu had been pushed into severe financial distress under the DMK regime, with the State borrowing nearly Rs 1 lakh crore annually and the overall debt burden increasing by more than Rs 4 lakh crore, reflecting what he termed administrative incompetence and reckless fiscal management.
DMK leaders themselves confessed to such loot, the AIADMK chief said, referring to past remarks of Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, the present IT Minister, made before he was axed from the finance portfolio a few years ago.
The AIADMK president recalled that he had allegedly stated that Rs 30,000 crore was looted within a year of the DMK coming to power. “If this were the scale in one year, one can imagine the magnitude over 56 months,” Palaniswami said.
According to the AIADMK, corruption had permeated several departments, including Municipal Administration, Rural Development, Highways, Electricity, Prohibition and Excise, Registration, Water Resources, Greater Chennai Corporation, Industries, School Education, Health and Higher Education, among others, with the total alleged amount running into several lakh crore rupees.
The party claimed that rampant corruption had led to governance failure, deterioration of law and order and loss of investor confidence, with industries shifting to neighbouring states.
It urged the Governor to constitute a Special Investigation Commission headed by a retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to inquire into what it termed a Rs 4 lakh crore scam and to initiate action against both ministers and officials involved.
He rebuffed questions over corruption allegations pending against AIADMK former ministers. “Allegations made against me have been proven false. They were made to harm my reputation," he claimed.
Meanwhile, he said that the State has been turned into a hub of protests of teachers, nurses, sanitation workers and others, who were forced to take to the streets to demand fulfilment of DMK's poll promises. “The DMK government will definitely be sent packing home. The AIADMK will win a clear majority and form the next government,” he asserted.
Senior party leaders KP Munusamy, Dindigul Srinivasan, Natham R Viswanathan and SP Velumani accompanied Edappadi Palaniswamy to the Lok Bhavan during the submission of the dossier.
Meanwhile, the AIADMK chief urged aspirants for party tickets in the upcoming Assembly polls not to fall prey to manipulators who claim to assure them of nomination. He told party leaders that the decision on nominees would be based solely on credentials.