During the previous DMK regime, the grandly built ‘Periyar Arivulagam’ and science center, at an estimated cost of Rs. 300 crore, was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay on October 16 last year.
Meanwhile, writer Perumal Murugan has alleged that there was corruption in the books purchased for Periyar Arivulagam.
That is, writer Perumal Murugan noted that there are 1,800 books in the name of the “Agalvilakku” publishing house in the Periyar intellectual sphere, and that although he himself has been active in the literary world for 40 years, he had never heard of Agalvilakku Publishing House. He also pointed out that while a 300-page book from other publishers costs Rs. 350, a 300-page book from Agalvilakku Publishing House costs Rs. 1,445.
He has raised questions about whether the International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) listed in the books are fake, and who was responsible for distributing counterfeit books and committing corruption worth crores. While many political leaders have been condemning this issue, Annamalai, the leader of the We The Leaders organization, has also expressed his condemnation.
In the post he has published, "The allegations that irregularities have taken place in the purchase of books at the Coimbatore Periyar Arivulagam Library are deeply shocking.
A library is not just a building. It is a noble public asset that equally shares knowledge and opportunities with students who do not have the financial means to buy and read books at home, and with the lakhs of young people preparing for competitive examinations including TNPSC. If irregularities have indeed taken place in the public tax money allocated for such a library, it is not merely a financial irregularity but a betrayal of the education and intellectual growth of the next generation.
What is the complete list of books recommended by the committee set up to recommend books for this library during the previous DMK regime? Were all the books on that list actually purchased?
Who verified the number of books purchased, the ISBN numbers, the date of purchase, and the date they reached the library? What was the procedure used to examine the quality, content, and price of the books? Documentary answers must be provided to these questions.
The report of the book procurement advisory committee, the list of recommended books, purchase orders, invoices, delivery documents, and the verification committee’s report should all be made public. An independent, thorough investigation should be conducted into whether each book was purchased at the proper price and whether all the books purchased reached the library.
If the very library meant to share knowledge has been turned into a den of corruption, that is not merely a plunder of the people’s tax money but a plunder of knowledge. Whoever is responsible for this must certainly be brought before the law," he posted.
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