No irregularity in Smart City initiative during AIADMK rule: Palaniswami

There is no scope for any irregularity in initiatives here under the Smart Cities Mission during his party-led regime, AIADMK top leader Edappadi K Palaniswami said here on Friday. Palaniswami alleged that sub-standard commodities were being given away to people under the harvest festival 'Pongal' gift hamper distribution plan.

Insects were found in wheat flour and jaggery is also sub-standard, he alleged and showed video clips of people making the allegations.

He also alleged 'irregularity' in procurement of sugarcane for distribution under this scheme.


He alleged that 'sub-standard commodities' were purchased from firms located outside of the state.

The implementation of the tasks taken up here connected to the Smart City scheme were monitored and led by a committee of IAS officials according to Centre's norms, Palaniswami said.

It was being portrayed by the DMK regime as if there had been irregularity in the implementation of the scheme here and that Chief Minister M K Stalin had said the matter would be probed, Palaniswami, who is also the leader of Opposition, told reporters outside the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Following the flooding of several localities here during the heavy monsoon rains, Chief Minister Stalin had said that an inquiry panel would be set up to look into irregularities in the implementation of initiatives under the Smart Cities Mission in Chennai.

The CM had also said on Thursday in the Assembly that the implementation of the programme in Chennai would be probed.

Palaniswami alleged that paddy procurement was not done properly by the government through its direct purchase centres.

Since paddy was stored in open areas, the produce was affected and damaged (about two lakh paddy bags in Tamil Nadu) due to rains, he claimed and demanded that the farmers be compensated.

As many as 1,900 Amma Mini Clinics were opened during the AIADMK regime across the state benefitting the poor people but these were closed down by the DMK government due to 'political vendetta,' he said.

The DMK government is trying to scrap schemes named after Amma, he alleged and said the party has appealed to the government to not discontinue the pioneering initiative of 'Amma Unavagam (chain of canteens offering food at low-cost).'

Hitting out at the DMK regime of double standards, Palaniswami said when the AIADMK was in power Stalin had demanded closure of state-run liquor outlets during the pandemic and even staged a protest.

However, now though Health Minister Ma Subramanian has said that the Delta and Omicron variants of coronavirus were spreading like a 'tsunami' in Tamil Nadu, the non-closure of liquor shops is condemnable, he said.