A delegation of the opposition Congress submitted a memorandum to Lieutenant Governor Lt. Gen. A.K. Singh on Monday demanding a thorough probe into large scale irregularities in distribution of free house site pattas to Scheduled Caste people in Embalam constituency.
Speaking to reporters, Leader of Opposition V. Vaithilingam and Pradesh Congress Committee president A. Namassivayam said free house site pattas were issued to persons in Kirumambakkam, Pillayarkuppam, Adingapattu, Seliamedu and Sembiampalayam in Embalam constituency represented by Welfare Minister P. Rajavelu in gross violation of rules.
Mr. Vaithilingam said that a majority of the beneficiaries were selected against the norms stipulated by the government. A house site patta should be given to only one beneficiary of a family from the Scheduled Caste community, but there were instances of a few families securing more than three house sites.
Unmarried persons, people from adjoining areas in Tamil Nadu and those working in government received the pattas instead of the eligible local residents on the directions of Mr. Rajavelu. According to the memorandum, bypassing the 3,150 beneficiaries identified during 2011 by the Adi Dravidar Welfare Department under the previous Congress regime was in violation of the Madras High Court’s directive to issue pattas to those who were having priority cards issued by the Adi Dravidar Welfare Department.
The Lieutenant Governor should intervene and ensure that only genuine poor homeless SC people are issued house site pattas, Mr. Vaithilingam added.
Mr. Namassivayam said the Chief Minister was making tall claims on the financial position and demanded a white paper on the finances for the last four-and-a-half years.
Though the government has claimed that the financial position was healthy it has not been able to pay salaries to employees of several Public Sector Undertakings.
The Puducherry Government should present a white paper on the financial position and the progress of implementation of various schemes announced in the Assembly, he said.
