Refuting the charge of irregularities in the allotment of land under the government discretionary quota (GDQ), chief minister M. Karunanidhi on Tuesday said the quota had been in vogue since the MGR regime, and among the long list of beneficiaries was the son of former AIADMK minister K.A. Sengottaiyan.
Reacting strongly a day after Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy sought sanction from Governor Surjit Singh Barnala for his prosecution for allotting plots to a “favoured few”, Mr Karunanidhi told the Assembly that no wrong had been committed in land and house allotments under GDQ.
He accused Swamy of “mischievously twisting facts” on the issue, which was regrettable and liable for action.
He said GDQ was introduced by the AIADMK in 1979, and the 10 per cent quota was increased to 15 per cent by Ms Jayalalithaa’s the previous regime.
Mr Karunanidhi said no plot or house was given at concessional rates to such beneficiaries.
TNHB sold the plots to the applicants at the market rate others had bought the property for.
“Some beneficiaries of the discretionary quota have returned the property saying they cannot afford to buy it,” he said in a suo motu statement. TNHB had not suffered any loss due to GDQ, he said.
Mr Karunanidhi released a long list of beneficiaries, including the wife of former Union minister M. Thambidurai, former minister S.M. Velusamy, Nagore Meeran, IPS officers Dewaram, Vijayakumar, R. Natraj and former chief secretary N. Narayanan, who got allotment under GDQ during Ms Jayalalithaa’s tenure.
Recalling revenue minister I. Periasamy’s recent statement that the government would take action in case of anyone submitting false declaration or any irregularity, Mr Karunanidhi said, “Eightyfive per cent of allotments were being made through draw of lots of applications for TNHB lands and houses. The rest had been given under discretionary quota at the same price.”