He said the department would constitute a special committee to examine the collections in govt libraries across the state. Chennai: School education minister A Rajmohan on Saturday said the department had lodged a complaint with the Directorate Of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) seeking an inquiry into the alleged purchase of AI-generated and fraudulent books for Periyar Arivulagam in Coimbatore and public libraries under construction during the previous DMK govt.
Waving copies of emails sent to Agal Vilakku Pathippagam on Feb 14, the minister said the publisher had been asked to deliver the books within seven days. The consignment, he said, had arrived in more than 40 cartons. Rajmohan said the books were part of a list submitted by publishers and placed before an expert committee comprising 137 members. Of them, 112 attended the meeting and signed the minutes, he said, showing a copy of the proceedings.
You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Chennai | Silver Rate in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai | Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Petrol Price in Chennai | Diesel Price in Chennai | CNG Price in Chennai | LPG Price in Chennai Stay updated with the latest Chennai news.
Calling the issue the state’s “first AI scam”, Rajmohan demanded DMK apologise to students and readers. The purchase order was issued in March, he said, alleging that the entire transaction took place during DMK rule. “We (TVK govt) looked into the procedure and released the pending payments to facilitate the opening of the library,” he said. Responding to DMK’s charges over seals bearing June dates found on the controversial books, Rajmohan said the dates referred to when the books were unpacked from cartons and placed on library shelves. He said the publisher’s use of separate addresses for purchase and delivery, along with its operation of two or three publishing companies, had raised doubts. Political influence, including that of ministers in the former govt, may have played a role in the purchases, he said, while not ruling out the involvement of govt officials. “Anyone involved in the alleged AI scam will face stern action,” he warned. Referring to author names such as “Vijay Trisha” and several others carrying the name “Vijay”, Rajmohan alleged that the names had been deliberately created to demean a political leader and conceal wrongdoing.
He vowed to recover every rupee spent from the state exchequer on the purchases. “When writer Perumal Murugan , who was part of the govt committee, flagged the issue, we held a detailed inquiry. We found the irregularities had affected several libraries and were not limited to one,” Rajmohan added. Noting that TVK govt had not issued orders for the purchase of a single book, the minister alleged that books from the same publisher had been ordered for several other libraries. He further alleged that a high-level committee had endorsed the recommendations under pressure from the previous DMK govt. He urged public works minister Aadhav Arjuna to probe the alleged irregularities in construction work as the issue involved the safety of students. Download the TOI App.