Won't intervene in Rs 2000 dole scheme: HC

A division bench comprising Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad dismissed the two public interest litigations moved by M Karunandhi of Villupuram and Murugesan of Vellore after holding that the authorities have followed proper procedures to ascertain the beneficiaries.

The petitioners’ had submitted that Tamil Nadu Women's Development Corporation (TNWDC) has got into the process of disbursing Rs 1,200 crores to 60 lakh families based on unreliable and outdated data.

Moreover, contrary to the announcement made by the Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami that the money was meant for below poverty line families, the scheme has been extended to poor families, which meant that those above the poverty line would be included as beneficiaries.

But by expanding the scope of the scheme by turning BPL into poor families has created a doubt that those part of BPL would be ignored, and the money disbursed to others.

They claimed that such a move was evident with many households in Adyar have received the such applications for receiving the dole, making a mockery of the process.

They also noted that the GO issued in this regard is irrational and whimsical, and will pave way for official nepotism, favoritism and corruption by TNWDC.

The GO by including the word poor paves way to include more persons and since election is scheduled to be held in April this year, the entire exercise appears to be election related in a bid to garner their votes, the petitioners contended.