PUDUCHERRY: AIADMK legislator A Anbazhagan on Saturday charged Puducherry Lt Governor (In-charge) A K Singh of supporting the wrong ‘deeds’ of the elected government and failing to play his role as administrator in stopping illegal functioning, irregularities and wasteful expenditure of public funds by the administration.
Briefing media at a press conference here on Saturday, Anbazhagan said that the NR Congress government was ‘misusing’ funds in several departments and government boards and corporations resulting in wasteful expenditure of tax payers’ money to the tune of Rs 200 crore annually.
He cited the example of more than 23 government corporations and boards where funds are being ‘wasted’. Despite the tenure of Chairman of several corporations have ended, they continue to remain in office illegally and are making unjustified expenditure, said Anbazhagan. L-G is closing his eyes to such irregularities, he said.
In several departments, thousands were appointed through the backdoor after obtaining money and these employees are without salary for more than one year now. Stating that the Public Works and Local Administration Departments were ‘paralysed’, Anbazhagan said the 4,500 employees of the PWD do not have any work. Last year works for Rs 135 crore were taken up by the department, but Rs 115 crore was paid as salary to the employees. As per the guidelines, around 20 per cent of the total allocation of around Rs 450 crore should be utilised as salaries. Similarly, in Local Administration department Rs 130 crore have been paid towards salary when not even a single work was tendered by the department. Though Rs 5 crore was allocated for each MLA under local area development scheme in the four years, only Rs 1 crore was utilised per MLA and the remaining allocation just disappeared, he said. The government had failed to allocate adequate funds to the education department to improve the quality of education, he said.
Further he said that the local body elections had not been conducted, RTE has not been implemented, over charging of fees by Deemed Medical colleges and schools is ignored. Heavy traffic congestion in the boulevard area and unregulated mushrooming of auto stands remain unchecked.