CHENNAI: School Education Minister A Rajmohan on Friday filed a complaint with the DVAC regarding the alleged irregularities in the procurement of books for the Periyar Arivulagam. He also said an inquiry has been ordered into the issue, and warned that all those responsible would be brought to book.
The minister urged the DVAC to conduct an investigation into how the books were procured, for not just the Coimbatore library, but also for other government libraries across the state.
Talking to the media earlier in the day, Rajmohan alleged that several lakhs of rupees had already been paid towards the purchases, while some payments are still pending. He reiterated allegations that nearly 1,500 books had been procured from a particular publisher whose existence and credentials are questionable.
He pointed out that several authors whose books were purchased were unfamiliar in the literary circles. “What has happened in the name of Periyar is unacceptable. An institution of knowledge must remain above any kind of compromise. The misuse of technology to loot taxpayers’ money on such a scale cannot be tolerated,” he said.
Rajmohan said the government would also scrutinise book procurement orders placed for other libraries in the state. Any questionable orders would be cancelled immediately, he added. “As our chief minister has said, we will not spare those who have misused public money,” he said, adding that the government would ensure transparent administration.
