DMK looting under the pretext of Pongal gift hampers: Palaniswami

Former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday said that the DMK government was indulging in loot under the pretext of providing Pongal gift hampers. He was speaking to reporters at the AIADMK office.

He said that the items were overpriced and procured from North India even though they were abundantly available in Tamil Nadu. Most of the ration card owners had not received all the 21 items promised in the gift hamper, he added.

Palaniswami said that corruption to the tune of Rs 30 crore had taken place in the procurement of sugarcane for the gift hampers and added that the bags given with the gift hampers cost a maximum of Rs 30 but the pricing of the government was Rs 60.

The AIADMK leader charged that not all rice cardholders are receiving all the items promised in the gift hampers. He said that while some were receiving 15 items, others were getting 18 items, and rarely anyone was getting all the 21 items. He said  the items to be included in the gift hampers were purchased from North Indian businessmen for the sake of commission.

Palaniswami said that Chief Minister Stalin was interested only in publicity. He claimed that when Stalin was cycling, 500 policemen were on guard and the same was the situation when he was visiting a tea shop. 

The AIADMK leader said that the present government was taking undue credit for the 11 government medical colleges that are to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister as 60 percent of the work on these medical colleges was completed during the period of the previous government.