The Madras High Court Bench here on Monday ordered notice to the State adi-dravidar and tribal welfare department and the Tuticorin District Collector on a public interest litigation filed alleging misuse of funds allotted by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for the welfare of scheduled caste (SC) in Tamil Nadu.
The petitioner, T. Kanagalakshmi, said that the State government had allotted Rs 1.33 crore to Tuticorin district for the financial year 2012-2013 from the funds given by the Union government.
The director of adi-dravidar and tribal welfare department showed discretion in distributing funds to all the districts, she alleged in her petition.
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According to the petitioner, the funds were allotted to the State to improve basic amenities such as roads, cemeteries and for the protection of SCs and for their economic development. But the Tuticorin district collector, without any authority, released the funds to the teaching grants of high and higher secondary schools in the district and in favour of a private trust, she alleged.
“Improving the basic amenities did not include salary grant to the teachers. Allotment of funds to the school is nothing but misuse of funds”, she contended in her petition.
Therefore, she pleaded that the court should direct the adi-dravidar welfare department to recover the misused funds.
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A division bench comprising Justices N. Paul Vasanthakumar and P. Devadass ordered notice and adjourned the case by two weeks.