Strict Action Demanded In Library Scam
The allegations levelled point to the government purchasing fake books, created with the use of AI and brought out in the name of fake authors and some unknown publishing houses bagging large scale orders
Chennai: Accusing the TVK government of committing large scale corruption in the procurement of books for the Periyar Arivulagam library in Coimbatore, DMK’s Legal Wing joint secretary, I Paranthamen, wrote to the DVAC pointing out several fraudulent activities and seeking action.
The allegations levelled point to the government purchasing fake books, created with the use of AI and brought out in the name of fake authors and some unknown publishing houses bagging large scale orders. Even the publishers had to obtained ISBN for each of the books but got them in bulk, the complaint said.
Another charge was that the books were priced at exorbitant rates and that the government had paid for them without ascertaining their genuineness and that some of the fake authors had written up to 162 books in a short span of time. The DMK demanded a thorough enquiry into the scam and legal action against the offenders.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami wanted an investigation by a retired High Court judge and wondered how the TVK government failed to check and vet the books purchased for the library.
Whoever was responsible for the scam, be it leaders of the TVK or the DMK, should be taken to task, he said in a statement on Saturday.