Chennai, Oct 29 (IANS) In a sharp attack on the DMK government, Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into what he described as a massive Rs 888-crore “cash-for-jobs scam” in the state’s Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department.

Nagenthran accused the ruling DMK of “hunting down the future of honest Tamil youths” by allegedly taking bribes of up to Rs 35 lakh per post to appoint ineligible candidates, depriving thousands of qualified applicants of fair employment opportunities.

According to him, during the 2024 recruitment process for 2,538 vacancies in the department, over 1.12 lakh applicants had applied.

“In the name of appointments, the DMK filled its own pockets by collecting lakhs of rupees per position and recruiting undeserving persons,” Nagenthran said in a statement.

The BJP leader pointed out that the appointment orders for these posts were personally handed over by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin just two months ago, making the alleged irregularities even more serious.

“If corruption could happen in a recruitment drive inaugurated by the Chief Minister himself, one can only imagine how many such scams have taken place in the last four-and-a-half years,” he said.

Nagenthran further stated that the revelations by the Enforcement Directorate – suggesting widespread bribery in the MAWS recruitment process – show how deeply corruption has taken root in the DMK regime.

“From air to sanitation, corruption runs through every level of this government. Now, even the dreams of Tamil Nadu’s youth are being looted,” he charged.

Calling the incident “a grave betrayal of the state’s unemployed and meritorious youth,” Nagenthran asserted that only a CBI inquiry could “expose” the full extent of the wrongdoing.

“The BJP, on behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu, demands an impartial CBI investigation to bring to light the masterminds behind this scam and ensure justice for the victims of DMK’s corrupt governance,” he said.

–IANS

aal/svn