Speaker V. Vaithilingam on Friday asked the government to re-investigate complaints about malpractice in the administration of Anglo French Textiles during the time of previous All India N.R. Congress regime.
Amid walkout on AFT issue, Mr. Vaithilingam directed the government to transfer the Managing Director and Officer on Special Duty till the probe was completed.
The Speaker gave the ruling after members belonging to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Amma) and the Congress expressed dissatisfaction over the probe conducted by Secretary to Department of Industries Arun Desai.
The issue came up after Minister for Industries M.O.H.F. Shahjahan informed the House that the probe conducted by Mr. Desai did not find any wrongdoing in the administration of the mill.
‘Unilateral probe’
A. Baskar (AIADMK) said during the last Assembly session it was on his complaint that the Speaker directed the government to conduct a probe. Being a complainant, the panel should have enquired with him and collected evidence, he said.
The panel had not discussed or collected evidence from him, he added
To a query by Mr. Baskar, Mr. Vaithilingam said he had not seen the report.
Mr. Baskar said the government had been trying to shield the culprits and it had been encouraging corruption.
Stoutly denying the charge, the Minister said if Mr. Baskar had any documents he could approach the panel. To this, the AIADMK member said there was no point in submitting any evidence after the probe was completed.
Coming to the support of Mr. Baskar, his party colleague A. Anbalgan said the panel should have enquired with the complainant and the report first submitted to the Speaker.
As a mark of protest against the government stand, AIADMK members staged a walkout.
As the issue was about to settle, N.S.J. Jayabal (AINRC) rose to compliment the government for giving a clean chit on AFT issue.
R.K.R. Anantharaman (Congress) took a strong stand against the probe panel.
He said the probe panel had erred in not taking the views of the complainant and sought a re-investigation into the corruption charges.
As the Minister agreed to a re-investigation if the legislators wanted it to be so, the Speaker gave a ruling to re-investigate the charges and transfer the Managing Director and the Officer on Special Duty while the probe was on.
