On what basis was raid on TASMAC initiated, asks TN Minister

Chennai, Mar 19 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Electricity and Prohibition Minister V Senthil Balaji on Wednesday sought to know on what basis raids were initiated on the state-owned TASMAC alleging irregularities, and claimed this was done unable to bear the achievements of the DMK government.

Referring to the Enforcement Directorate's raid at multiple locations across the state on March 6, the Minister, without mentioning the agency's name, said that to this day there was no explanation on what basis the raids were carried out.

"Which FIR was taken into account and also the year that FIR was registered, too, were not disclosed so far," Balaji said intervening BJP legislator Vanathi Srinivasan's reference to the multi-crore Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) scam, during a debate on the Budget in the Assembly House.

Mounting a veiled attack on BJP state chief K Annamalai, Balaji said some people who were unable to tolerate the achievements of the DMK government were indulging in slander.

"They somehow tried to expose the government with a magnifying glass, but found nothing, and so flogged themselves. With the agency in their hands, they initiated a raid on unconnected places and people, ahead of the Budget (on March 14) to prevent the schemes from reaching the people," the Minister alleged.

Those people, he said, were bent upon ensuring the four-year achievements of the DMK, and also the historical announcements in this Budget did not reach the people. "They are engaged in a vilification campaign to tarnish the government's image. Their intentions would never fructify," Balaji added.

Pointing to Vanathi Srinivasan he said the state government announced to phase out the TASMAC liquor outlets and accordingly, 603 shops have been closed down after the DMK came to power in 2021. PTI JSP ROH

Source: PTI