Southern States
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Tamil Nadu
A costly commission mela
By Radha Venkatesan
CHENNAI, DEC. 11. In just seven months after coming to power, the AIADMK Government, in a record of sorts, set up five judicial commissions, of which three are probing alleged police excesses particularly by the Chennai law enforcers.
Amid an Opposition outcry over a ``police raj'' in Tamil Nadu, the latest commission headed by Mr. Justice Ali Mohammed will also examine whether the police indulged in any excesses during their midnight raids on the law college hostel here last week.
Though previous governments too came up with several judicial commissions when they were faced with controversies, this is the first time three commissions have been instituted in the space of five months to examine police ``high-handedness''.
First, it was the Raman Commission set up in July to probe whether there were police excesses during the arrest of the DMK president, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, and the Union Ministers, Mr. Murasoli Maran and Mr. T. R. Baalu. Then came the Bakthavatsalam Commission to look into whether the police action on the August 12 DMK rally here, in which six persons were killed, was justified. And now, it is the Ali Mohammed panel to probe the police action on the law college students.
Two other judicial commissions - one headed by Mr. Justice N. Arumugham to go into the allegations of ``irregularities and corruption'' in the construction of the yet-to-be finished Perambur flyover here and the other headed by a district judge to probe the fire tragedy at an Erwadi (Ramanathapuram district) mental asylum in September are under way.
`Tools to silence critics'
As the findings of the judicial panels instituted under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1959 are not binding on the Government, their reports far from help to clean up the police administration or stem the rot.
In the wake of controversies, these commissions are just ``glorified tools'' to silence the critics of the government, admit officials.
But the ``silencing tool'' is proving costly to the cash-strapped Tamil Nadu Government. For judges, it could be a welcome post-retirement assignment. But for the ``financially sick'' government, it is certainly an avoidable drain.
The retired judges are given a consolidated pay ranging between Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 25,000 per month. Besides, they are entitled to two cars, one of them air-conditioned, two office assistants, two assistants, one section officer and counsel. The Government would have to spend not less than Rs. 1 lakh towards the monthly expenditure of a commission.
Ever since the commission mela began this year with the June 29 midnight arrest of Mr. Karunanidhi, the Public department has been busy providing the facilities demanded by the inquiry panels.
As none of the commissions even begins its hearing within the three-month period and each panel is given liberal extensions, the Government will cough up not less than Rs. 10 lakhs by the time it presents its report, say officials. For the Arumugham Commission the expenses would be on the higher side as each of the three members has to be provided with an air- conditioned car.
After five months now, the Raman Commission has just now begun its hearing. But the Bhaktavatsalam Commission, which has been given an extension, is yet to hold a sitting. And, the fate of the Arumugham Commission unknown, as that of the flyover itself.
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