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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Now, a land scam in TN

Now, a land scam in TN

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published Published on Dec 8, 2010   modified Modified on Dec 8, 2010

Beneficiaries include sitting and retired judges, IGP, Congress MLA

An RTI query into the allotment of prime land and flats under the Tamil Nadu Housing Board scheme has unravelled another land scam where the discretionary quota, which is 15 per cent reserved, was misused for favours to people in high offices, including judges, MLAs and bureaucrats.

Some of these beneficiaries were given plots under the ‘unblemished Government Servant (UGS) quota, especially in 2008. Most of the beneficiaries are those who were close to the ruling DMK Government.

Among those allotted prime land is sitting judge of Madras High Court Justice R Bhanumathi (two adjoining plots), who, according to her disclosure of assets, already had a house in her name and a plot in her husband’s name.

Retired judge of MHC Justice K Raviraja Pandian, who was allotted land while he already owned 50 per cent share in his ancestral house, was another beneficiary. 

A classic case is that of IGP Intelligence, Jaffar Sait, who received land under the UGS scheme. He got the land in his daughter’s name and transferred it to his wife Parvin’s name. A multi-storey complex has been commissioned on this plot.

Another person to receive a plot worth Rs 60 lakh was the former Regional Passport Officer Sumathi Ravichandran, who was arrested last April on graft charges. Sumathi already owned a plot and that should have disqualified her for a plot under TNHB.

In another case, a former district collector G Prakash, issued a UGS certificate for himself!

One of the reasons for the misuse has been the use of old rules and guidelines, as old as 2001, to allot the plots and flats. The rules were relaxed in 2001 to boost the sale of properties and to offload stocks.

But since 2005, the real estate market boomed and it peaked in 2008 when the market rates were more than three times that of 2001. Ironically, all the violations happened during this peak period.

The relaxation of the rules took place during the AIADMK Government. But when the DMK took over in 2006, the real estate market was already looking up and in fact soared to unbelievable limits in 2007-08. The situation was such that middle class people were finding it difficult to even take a flat on rent at a decent rate.

As the skeletons are tumbling out, the DMK, which is already reeling under the 2G spectrum scam and the Radia tapes, will find it harder and harder to face the people. But, corruption is no new issue to the State. Tamil Nadu had in 1996 given a clear mandate against corruption. How the citizens of the State react to the current scenario will be known in the coming months. 


The Daily Pioneer, 8 December, 2010, http://www.dailypioneer.com/302150/Now-a-land-scam-in-TN.html


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