Chennai: Health Minister and senior AIADMK leader C Vijaya Baskar is caught in a fresh trouble as the Income Tax department has reportedly written to the State government seeking action against him ‘after confirming his involvement in scams’
Television channel News 18 Tamilnadu, which claims to have accessed a copy of the letter, has said that Vijaya Baskar’s father Chinnathambi had confessed to have collecting money from people for getting government jobs and transfer orders.
In the letter, the I-T department is said to have mentioned that during the raids which were conducted at the Minister’s properties last year, several evidences and unaccounted money were seized.
‘Rs 20 lakh unaccounted money was seized during the raid conducted at the Minister’s residence at Ilupur in Pudukottai. Out of this Rs 12,96,000 were kept in 28 sealed covers, which also contained letters for direct interview for government’s mid-day meal scheme jobs, and transfer orders of nurses,’ the channel reported.
The letter has also mentioned about seizing two important evidences from the e-mail of Vijaya Baskar’s assistant J Srinivasan’s during the raid conducted at the latter’s house last year.
‘The nine page accounts report seems to have the names of the Minister’s assistants and different individuals who had collected money using the Health and Family Welfare Department’s name,’ the channel said and added that till July 2016 Rs 20,75,91,500 was collected.
‘The I-T department in its letter has said that this amount was collected to admit students in nursing and paramedical colleges in the State,’ the channel said.
Another startling revelation that was made in the letter was regarding to the 4.91 hectare stone quarry allegedly owned by Vijaya Baskar and Gubendhiran at Pudukottai.
The I-T department has said that the quarry has flouted rules and mining was carried out exceeding the permitted limit.
‘Permission was given to cut stones up to 43 meters, however mining was done for 72 meters,’ the I-T department mentioned in the letter.
Similarly permission was given to cut 2,95,642 cubicmeter stones, however 25,51,868 cubicmetre has been cut, that is 850 per cent more stones were mined illegally, the letter reportedly stated.
The I-T department has said that all these scams have been confirmed using the help of surveillance done using drones as guided by the High Court.