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Chennai, October 30 (IANS) AIADMK general secretary and leader of opposition in Tamil Nadu Assembly Edappadi K. Palaniswami demanded that the police immediately file a First Information Report (FIR) in connection with the alleged Rs 800 crore recruitment scam in the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) department of the state government.
In a strongly worded statement, Palaniswami said large-scale “irregularities” in the recruitment process had “shattered the dreams of thousands of honest and hardworking youth” who aspired to secure government employment through merit.
He alleged that bribes ranging from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 35 lakh per candidate were taken by middlemen working on behalf of senior politicians and officials.
“The job racket run by Minister KN Nehru, his relatives and select department officials has turned the sacred process of public recruitment into a money making operation,” he alleged.
Palaniswami said the scam came to light after a series of raids by the Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate (ED) across Tamil Nadu earlier this year.
According to him, the ED has already handed over a detailed dossier with documents and statements of witnesses to the Director General of Police (DGP), urging that a case be registered under relevant sections of the law so that the case can be investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Palaniswami said, “ED’s findings point to a large-scale cash-for-jobs network operating within the MAWS department, including manipulation of examination results and interview lists to favor candidates who paid bribes.”
“The DMK regime’s greed for commission has ruined the future of the youth of Tamil Nadu,” he said.
He urged the DGP to order an impartial investigation through the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to ensure that no one is shielded regardless of position or political affiliation.
Palaniswami called on the Governor and central agencies to monitor the investigation to guarantee impartiality and accountability, warning, “The Stalin government has turned recruitment into a commercial enterprise. The people of Tamil Nadu will not forgive those who sell government jobs.”
–IANS
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