DMK president M.K. Stalin on Sunday charged that a petition filed in the Madras High Court alleging irregularities in the tenders for works in the Highways Department was proof that the Department, held by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, was involved in scam even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If we point out, he [Mr Palaniswami] would innocently ask about the need to politicise the issue during the pandemic. But the issue has reached the High Court,” Mr. Stalin said in a statement.
He said the petition, filed by Durai Jayakumar, a registered contractor, had brought to light the irregularities in the tender issued for maintenance of 462.11 km of roads in Thanjvur, Orathanadu and Pattukottai divisions for five years.
Mr. Stalin said the contention of Mr Jayakumar was that the last date for filing the tender was April 15 and the work was awarded to a single contractor even though normally it should be executed by 32 contractors.
“The cost of the work is ₹500 crore. But the tender was awarded for ₹1,165 crore. There are also provisions in the tender to award the work to particular contractors,” Mr. Stalin quoted from the petition filed in the High Court.
Questioning the need to award the contract in a hasty manner at the time of the pandemic, Mr. Stalin wanted to know why the Chief Minster did not wait till the COVID-19 lockdown was lifted.
“The High Court will certainly hear the case and expose the irregularities in the tenders. The Chief Minister may try to get a stay by misusing power. But how long he can misuse power? The wheels of justice will turn and the scams and irregularities will come before the people and the government cannot escape,” claimed the DMK leader.
