Political leaders demand probe into irregularities in book procurement at Periyar Arivulagam

The DMK on Saturday lodged a complaint with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), seeking registration of a case and an investigation into alleged large-scale irregularities and misappropriation of public funds in the procurement of books for Periyar Arivulagam in Coimbatore.

In his complaint, I. Paranthamen, joint secretary of the party’s legal wing, requested the Director of the DVAC to secure the procurement files, note files, purchase orders, delivery records, accession registers, and payment records at the earliest to prevent their alteration or destruction. “Bring to book those responsible for the commission of these offences and take appropriate action against them in accordance with the law,” he said.

Mr. Paranthamen said the investigation should establish which officers issued the procurement or purchase orders for the books and whether the titles had been selected and purchased individually after evaluation or in bulk. He also wanted the DVAC to ascertain the dates on which purchase orders were issued to the publishers; the officers who initiated, signed, and approved the note files relating to the procurement; whether the purchases had been approved by the competent book selection or purchase committee; and whether the prescribed procedures had been followed.

Mr. Paranthamen sought an investigation into whether the writers named Trisha Vijay, Sangeetha Vijay, Thamarai Panneer, Thamarai Murali, and Monica Ravi R., among others, actually existed. He wanted the DVAC to establish the dates on which the books were delivered, whether their quality and quantity were verified on receipt, and the dates and amounts of payments released to each publisher. The investigation should also determine whether the prices paid were reasonable when compared with market prices and the discounts normally offered to libraries, he added.

‘TVK not being diligent’

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
| Photo Credit:
E. LAKSHMI NARAYANAN

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Saturday demanded that a commission of inquiry be set up under the chairmanship of a former High Court judge to probe the book procurement controversy. In a post on social media, he called for immediate action against those responsible in the matter. He said both the ruling TVK and the DMK had been levelling charges against each other and seeking to confuse the people.

Mr. Palaniswami, however, found fault with the TVK-led regime for “not being diligent“ in scrutinising the books before displaying them at the library when Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay inaugurated it.

Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran contended that as a majority of the books had been purchased during the current regime, the probe should be carried out by an agency of the Union government or under the direct supervision of the High Court.

MDMK general secretary Vaiko.
| Photo Credit:
M. MOORTHY

MDMK general secretary Vaiko on Saturday said those responsible for procuring books for libraries during the DMK regime should explain the alleged irregularities in the purchase of books for Periyar Arivulagam. “Those responsible for the irregularities in the purchase of books for libraries, which are the lynchpin of an enlightened society, should be held accountable. All fake books and trash should be removed from the library,” he said in a statement.

Mr. Vaiko said the public should be informed of the books recommended during the DMK regime and the final list of books procured. He sought details of the number of procurement orders issued for each list of books, the number of books found to be trash, and those who placed orders for publications such as Agal Vilakku Pathipagam and Phoenix. He also wanted the names of the banks into which payments were credited to the publishers to be made public.

‘Trash along with the books’

CPI(M) State secretary P. Shanmugam.
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M. SRINATH

CPI(M) State secretary P. Shanmugam said the alleged irregularities would have been covered up had writer Perumal Murugan not flagged them. “There is trash alongside the books in Periyar Arivulagam. There should be a thorough inquiry into the purchases, irrespective of whether the books were procured during the DMK regime or after the TVK came to power. This could not have happened without a nexus between politicians and officials,” he said.

Demanding an inquiry by a Special Investigation Team, he said: “We also have a library, but we do not have a single book by author Vijay. A regular police inquiry will not bring out the truth.”