CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has set aside an order issued by the Tamil Nadu government in September for a vigilance probe into the alleged irregularities in the construction of the new Assembly and Secretariat buildings at Omandoorar Estate during the previous DMK regime.
Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, in her order on Thursday, quashed the government order while allowing the writ petitions filed by the opposition DMK president M K Stalin and treasurer Duraimurugan.
The State government had alleged that there was a loss of Rs 375 crore to the exchequer in the construction of the new buildings between 2008 and 2010 when DMK was in power and Stalin was the deputy chief minister.
The government has ordered a probe by Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption based on the materials collected by an enquiry commission headed by retired Madras High Court judge R Regupathy. The high court in its order observed that the transfer of the probe to the DVAC, based on the materials collected by the erstwhile enquiry commission which had not completed its investigation was improper.
The new buildings are however later converted into a government multi speciality hospital after AIADMK came to power in 2011 and the Tamil Nadu's Secretariat continues to function in its old premises.