A police case should be lodged immediately into the alleged irregularities in the procurement of books for public libraries in Tamil Nadu, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court told the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption on Tuesday.
The court has also ordered the freezing of bank accounts belonging to Agal Vilakku Publications, its proprietor Mohan and others involved in the alleged scam. The Director of Public Libraries has been asked to file an affidavit detailing the entire sequence of events and identify everyone involved. Why The Court Flagged The Violations The safeguards included a dedicated website for procurement, publication of details of shortlisted books and their covers, and a month’s time for publishers and the public to raise objections. The court had also ordered an inquiry into alleged unfair practices, followed by a report and action against officials responsible. The procurement conditions prohibit repurchasing the same book within five years and flag practices such as changing titles or authors’ names.
The authorities must disclose the exact amount spent on procuring these books and submit relevant records, the court said.
The directions came during the hearing of a contempt petition that alleged that the authorities have failed to comply with an earlier court order on transparent procurement of books for public libraries.
