Misuse of property alleged against Tamil Nadu government officials' union leader

Chennai: The biggest and oldest of NGO unions, Tamil Nadu Government Officials (NGO) Union in the state, is facing allegations of corruption from a section of government staff, who charge the present leader R. Shanmugarajan with misusing the union's property and earning money from it.

Shanmugarajan is charged with earning money through leasing or renting the several crore worth assets of the union, besides selling some of them without the knowledge of other office-bearers. A group of government employees allege that several cases had been filed against him based on complaints of corruption from a section of employees. Many cases of corruption are pending against him and he had obtained anticipatory bail in those cases, after absconding for sometime, they said.

Former president of the union, G. Sooryamoorthy said “One of the properties, a building at Khanabagh third lane in Triplicane was bought from the family welfare fund of government employees.”

Only the committee members of the welfare fund have the right to lease, rent or sell the building. But, Shanmugarajan had sold it, he alleged. “When the fund committee itself had been dissolved, how can he sell it?”, Sooryamoorthy asked.
He said the union had assets worth nearly Rs 500 crores throughout the State. The president had no power to lease or rent it, as per the union's bylaw.

But, Shanmugarajan is indulging in malpractices and using the assets in an improper manner to earn money, he said. A union building at Tiruvallur had been given on a long lease to a PMK functionary. Similarly, a building at Yercaud in Salem had been given for lease to run a hotel. At Valparai, a union building had been leased to run a school, Sooryamoorthy charged.

When Shanmugarajan was the special officer of MRL Co-operative Housing Society, he had sold a plot without permission. He is facing three charges under section 17B, the most severe charge against a government employee under which a person can be suspended and his retirement benefits suspended.
Reacting to the allegations, Shanmugarajan said “After I assumed charge, I have increased the membership to more than six lakh. Only five government employee unions had been recognised in TN and the NGO union is the biggest.

A few persons who are envious of the union's growth are conspiring against the union's growth to cause disrepute to the union”. He explained that he wanted to solve the employees' issues through cordial negotiations with the government instead of resorting to agitations. “ A group of people who are jealous of my achievements are making false and malicious charges against me. I am ready to face the allegations”, he asserted.

Denying the charges on MRL Housing Co-operative Society plot issue,.he said Special Officer Raghavan who was holding the post before he took over had allocated it. “Since the plot had already been allocated, I prepared the sale deed for it. It is true that a charge sheet is pending against me on the issue. They also charge me with absconding. I followed the same method followed by others to get the bail. “Sooryamoorthy too faced charges under section 17B and I will follow the same method followed by him in such charges too”.

“The leasing of Valparai asset was done when Sooryamurthy was the NGO president and I am just following what already had been done”, Shanmugarajan said. Besides, when an asset of the union is leased or rented, it would be based on decisions taken at meetings of executive committee and general council by passing resolutions to that effect. There is nothing wrong in such moves, he asserted.

“We did not touch the assets allocated by government. After I assumed charge, I retrieved the union assets in 12 places encroached by others”. Denying the charges on Khanabhag building, he said it been leased for '30 lakh following a crisis to the union with permission from the union.

“The NGO union members have elected me twice as their president. If the allegations against me are true, how they elected the same team under my leadership two times”, he asked.