AIADMK demands CBI probe into Pongal gift hamper scam
The AIADMK has alleged that Rs.500 crore was swindled through the distribution of Pongal gift hampers by the State government. AIADMK has approached the Madras High Court with a plea to order a CBI inquiry into the corruption involved in the Pongal gift hamper deal.
The government had announced the allocation of a whopping Rs.1296 crore for the supply of gift hampers to 2.15 crore people.
The AIADMK has also alleged that instead of the promised 21 items in the gift hamper packet for Pongal, in many areas only 17 items were provided.
Former MLA and AIADMK’s legal advisory committee member I S Inbadurai moved a writ petition in this regard. Inbadurai said, “The Pongal gift hamper deal was mired in corruption and we allege that corruption to the tune of Rs.500 crore has taken place in it. As the matter is sub judice, I am not commenting much but we expect an inquiry by the CBI into this deal.”
Further, the AIADMK alleged that in a gift hamper that was given to rice ration cardholder in Tiruvallur a dead lizard was found. The petitioner has also pointed out the poor quality of edible oil that was in the gift hamper as also the presence of a used syringe in a gift hamper given to a rice ration cardholder at Kanniyakumari district.
Inbadurai’s petition mentions, “If the price per bag with products is calculated on an average, it is understood that Rs.600 is spent for every Pongal gift bag with 21 items in it. Considering the fact that in many cases several items were missing from the 21 products and in many instances, extremely poor-quality products that are not even worth a few rupees had been supplied, this by itself demonstrates that there is unholy collusion between the suppliers and the state whereby more than Rs.500 crore has been swindled by them and they have committed a big scam.”
The opposition party also alleged that there was a nexus between the contractors of the gift hampers and the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies as well as officials of the department and said that this nexus had led to poor quality of items in the gift hampers as well as the shortage of items.
He also alleged that given the quality of products in the gift hampers and the shortage of items in the hampers, it was clear that an unholy nexus between the suppliers, minister, and food and civil supplies officials have taken place leading to the poor quality of items in gift hampers as well as a shortage of items.
The petitioner called upon an investigation by the CBI to bring to light the corruption involved in the distribution of gift hampers as well as the poor quality of items in the gift hampers.
[With Inputs from IANS]
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