Southern States - Tamil Nadu

DVAC probing `DMK govt. copra scam'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI April 18. The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption is enquiring into the ``copra scam'' during the previous DMK Government and will bring to justice the wrongdoers soon, the Food Minister, P.Dhanabal, informed the Assembly today.

The DMK Government procured 1.12 lakh tonnes of copra last year. This year, after scrutiny, the Government procured about 3,000 tonnes. This in itself was an indication of the extent of wrongdoing that took place in the procurement during the previous year. ``Someone has looted,'' the Minister said investigations were on.

The TMC member, S.R. Balasubramaniam, said that in many parts farmers still wanted to sell their produce. He urged the Government to procure copra as the market price had already fallen and the farmers were in dire straits.

Mr. Dhanabal also said that during the DMK regime as many as 4063 were made in cooperatives without confirming to procedures. The AIADMK Government was looking into this issue, and any out-of-turn appointment and those which did not adhere to procedures would be nullified.

Forty-one criminal cases were launched against those found misusing the public distribution system. Rice worth Rs.1.96 crores and 228 vehicles used for transporting were seized.

Mr. Dhanabal said the charge that the AIADMK Government did not procure the usual quantity during the samba season was not true. In 1997-98, the DMK Government procured 11.37 lakh tonnes; the next year, this quantum dropped to 10.5 lakh tonnes. In 1999-2000, the procurement was 11.66 tonnes, while in 2000-01, it rose to 19.74 lakh tonnes. This year, the AIADMK Government procured 10.5 lakh tonnes. The figures proved that there was no drop in the procurement levels this year. It was only because the DMK Government chose to procure paddy from traders that it could inflate last year's figure. This meant inferior quality paddy from Andhra Pradesh was also dumped here, the Minister charged.

Consequently, the Government suffered huge losses. It had to spend Rs.60 crores to procure one tonne of paddy. Accepting that procurement was 12 lakh tonnes in the last year of the DMK regime, it meant an excess of seven lakh tonnes of procurement. As much as 420 crores of taxpayers money was "looted" by the DMK Government, Mr. Dhanabal charged.

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