DVAC begins probe into drinking water connection scam

COIMBATORE: It seems noose around former president of

Kannamapalayam

town panchayat

Thalapathy Murugesan

is tightening. A day after Murugesan was arrested in connection with the illegal gutkha unit in the city, sleuths of

DVAC

have begun inquiry into the drinking water connection scam in his panchayat on Friday.

Murugesan and executive officials (EOs) of the town panchayat have allegedly swindled money between 2011 and 2016 in the guise of providing drinking water connections.

DVAC officials deputed labourers to check the drinking water pipelines at Kannampalayam as part of the investigation.

The DVAC started its investigation based on a complaint from residents of Kannampalayam. Inspector of police, DVAC, Coimbatore, G Arumugam and his team visited Kannampalayam near Sulur. Tamil Nadu Water and Drainage (TWAD) officials and former executive officers (EOs) of Kannampalayam town panchayat who were working between 2015 and 2016 accompanied the DVAC sleuths.

According to sources, the DVAC officials were directed to check the drinking water connections at Kannampalayam by their superiors from Chennai. There was an allegation that the panchayat did not provide water connections to many areas. But the record shows that they had taken lakhs of rupees for the same.

Labourers dug at Marutham Nagar, Ranganathapuram and few more areas to check the drinking water pipelines. The DVAC also collected the sample pipes to check the quality and find out the irregularities. The investigation will continue for few more days in the area.

When contacted, assistant director of town panchayat

Ganeshram

told TOI that DVAC approached him to send former executive officers of Kannampalayam town panchayat. “I ordered the EOs to visit the panchayat and co-operate with the DVAC. But we did not initiate any departmental probe in connection with the irregularities at Kannampalayam,” said Ganeshram.

DVAC sleuths refused to comment but asked the writer advised to contact their superiors in Chennai for further information.

Meanwhile, people from Kannampalayam had sent a letter to the police giving information about Murugesan and his illegal activities and property he owns.


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