With two serving IAS officers being chargesheeted in the multi-crore granite scam, a Madurai-based NGO has demanded that the government book all the IAS officers who had administered the Madurai district over the last 20 years and also the ministers and secretaries involved in this.
The dalit officers, C. Kamaraj and N. Mathivanan, have been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act as well as various other sections, including criminal conspiracy and forgery.
Mathivanan had served as collector of Madurai between May 2009 and February 2010, while Kamaraj succeeded him and held office till March 2011, when the election commission transferred him in the run up to the Assembly election as he was considered close to Alagiri.
In its report, NGO Evidence said that the former Madurai collector U. Sagayam, in his report, has made it clear that the exchequer suffered a loss of Rs 16,000 crore through illegal quarrying over 20 years.
Similarly, another former collector, Udayachandran, during his tenure between May 2006 and July 2007, had sent a note to the government on irregularities in granite quarrying.
The report said that Kamaraj and Mathivanan could have thoroughly investigated the complaint by Murugesan who exposed granite scam.
“If the scam has been taking place for the past 20 years than all the collectors who served there should be held accountable,” said A. Kathir of Evidence.
Out of 127 granite quarrying licences given in Mellur, 70 licences were issued between 2003 and 2006. “No action was taken on the note sent by Udayachandran. Moreover, the officers who succeeded him were also left out.
We consider the action being taken only against Kamaraj and Mathivanan as castiest discrimination,” Kathir said, adding that he was as not against filing of chargesheet against both collectors but asked why others were left out.
Kathir also said that the chargesheeting of the two Dalit collectors gives ample opportunity to other officers to conceal their involvement in the scam. “Is it fair to charge Dalit officers alone in a scam where many other were also involved?” he asked.