Library book ‘scam’: ₹22 lakh belonging to publisher frozen
HC grants time to Director of Public Libraries and DVAC to file details
On Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu government informed the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court about a planned structured FIR in connection with alleged irregularities in the purchase of books for public libraries. Three bank accounts of the publisher Agal Vilakku, totaling ₹22 lakh, were subsequently frozen. The Director of Public Libraries and the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) had already given undertakings to provide all relevant details to the court.
During a hearing, a Division Bench of Justices G.R. Swaminathan and M.D. Sumathi expressed confusion about a claim that the Prime Minister's Tamil translation, 'Manathin Kural,' was recommended but rejected, as the court sought to verify the information. The court also questioned the high price paid to Agal Vilakku for 1,700 titles out of a total of 2,335 offered, and criticized the lack of transparency in the procurement process.
The court further requested the department to publish a comprehensive list of all books procured for public libraries over the past two decades, along with details on the number of books purchased and the amounts paid to suppliers.
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