MK Stalin charges Vijayabaskar with failing to check dengue
The Chief Minister should have dismissed Vijayabaskar when the IT department found irregularities in the minister's stone quarry business.
Chennai: Alleging that health minister C. Vijayabaskar is concentrating on the corruption cases against him instead of focusing on measures to control dengue, Leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin on Tuesday demanded the minister’s removal.
He said health secretary Radhakrishnan had admitted in Delhi that dengue cases are prevalent in the state, while Vijayabaskar had denied such cases. Stalin said dengue cases had been reported in 13 districts and added that the health minister had ignored the DMK’s warning about spread of dengue.
Vijayabaskar should have resigned when the IT department unearthed a list of ministers who had been handed with the job of distributing '89 crores to votes in RK Nagar bypoll. Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami should have asked the minister to quit after complaints that he receieved '40 crores of bribe to allow illegal sale of gutka.
The Chief Minister should have dismissed Vijayabaskar when the IT department found irregularities in the minister's stone quarry business. The IT had alleged that he had caused a loss of Rs 495 crores to the exchequer due to the irregularities, Stalin said.
Vijayabaskar, facing several corruption charges had gone to Delhi to meet the Union ministers and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The minister had failed to get exemption for Tamil Nadu from Neet and he had not obtained President's consent for the bill passed by the state Assembly to exempt the state from Neet. Questions are asked if he had met the Union Minister to get exemption for Neet or trying to escape from the corruption charges against him.
Vijayabaskar is not able to pay full attention to the health department and functioning like a 'part-time minister', Stalin said and added that over 5,000 persons in Tamil Nadu had been affected with dengue.
There are reports that most of the dengue-affected people had been admitted to private hospitals, he said and demanded the appointment of a 'full time health minister' in place of Vijayabaskar. The Chief Minister himself should take action to control and prevent dengue, he added.
