TMC charge on books purchase

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JAN. 22. The TMC has charged that the State Government had not followed the rules in the purchase of books for the newly opened Valluvar libraries in the State.

In a statement today, Mr. Peter Alphonse, MP and general secretary of the party, said that for the annual purchase of books for the libraries, the Government had adopted the practice of getting the price list from all the publishers and a 25-member expert committee would choose the titles and also fix the price for the books intended to be purchased. This practice had been given a go-by while purchasing books, totally valued at Rs. 6.5 crores for the libraries being opened in all parts of the State each at a cost of Rs. 3,000.

The TMC had received information that the Government had purchased the books from five publishers at prices quoted by them. This is said to have resulted in a loss of about Rs. three crores. Other publishers tried in vain to meet the Minister for Tamil Development and Culture, Mr. M. Tamizhkudimagan, the statement said.

Mr. Peter Alphonse wanted to know from the Minister whether the information received by the TMC was correct or not. He also demanded that the names of the books purchased and their authors and publishers be made public.

This alleged irregularity had taken place at a time when the panchayats and town panchayats in the State were passing through severe financial crisis due to non-flow of funds and grants from the State Government. Those, who had supplied milk to the cooperative societies, had not received their dues and several drinking water supply and augmentation schemes could not be pushed through due to want of funds, he said.

Mr. Alphonse said that the Government owed an explanation to the people to dispel the lurking doubts in the minds of the people.

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Section  : Regional
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