HC directs action on irregularities in flood relief

Chennai, Mar 9 (UNI) Madras High Court today directed the Collector of Cuddalore District to conduct an inquiry into alleged irregularities committed by the revenue officials in the distribution of flood relief and take appropriate action.

A division Bench comprising Mr Justice M Karpaga Vinayagam and Mr Justice A R Ramalingam gave the direction while disposing of a Public Interest Litigation filed by an advocate, C Palanimurugan.

The Bench said ''in view of the copy of representation allegedly sent to the Collector by the petitioner on February 21, 2006, it was clear that there are very serious allegations against the revenue officials.'' Therefore, the Collector, was directed to conduct an enquiry and take immediate action if the contents of the representation were found true.

The Bench also directed the Additional Government Pleader to inform the District Collector and the petitioner was also to send a copy of the representation along with the affidavit to the collector.

In his PIL, Palanimurugan submitted that the state government had ordered flood relief packages for all farmers who had lost their paddy crops to massive floods. The Village Administrative Officers of Nandeeswaramangalam and Chozhatharam villages along with Agricultural Extension Officer in Cuddalore district, who were assessing the damage along with the distributing authorities were collecting illegal gratification from farmers for providing the flood relief.

When the officials approached the petitioner, who had some acres of paddy land in both the districts, he refused to pay the illegal gratification. Hence, his name and lands were not fully included in the flood relief assessment report. The officials not only omitted his name and lands but also the names and lands of around 100 farmers for not paying the illegal gratification, he alleged.

The officials also marked the standing sugarcane fields of influential persons as damaged paddy fields and even went to the extent of including government wastelands/temple lands as damaged paddy fields allegedly owned by some influential persons, who bribed them. The aggrieved farmers made various representations and complaints to various authorities but no action had been taken, he submitted.

UNI XR HS HT2010