The Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed a sharp face-off over fireworks licences, after Industries Minister Selvi S Keerthana alleged that the previous DMK government charged Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh in bribes for a single licence. The DMK swiftly turned the charge back on the ruling TVK, asking whether licence renewals under the present government were also being granted after alleged payments.
The exchange, which happened on Tuesday, escalated into a broader war of allegations, with both sides citing claims purportedly made by fireworks industry associations. While Keerthana said the TVC government had renewed licences for 177 fireworks factories without taking money, DMK leader Thangam Thennarasu alleged that associations had accused the present government of taking bribes for renewals and approvals.
During the Assembly proceedings on Tuesday, Industries Minister Selvi S Keerthana accused the previous government of widespread corruption in the licencing process.
“There was so much corruption even in issuing licences for fireworks. Truly, it was rampant. To get a single licence, they took Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh,” she alleged.
The minister then contrasted the alleged practices under the previous government with the TVK administration’s handling of licence renewals.
“Today, across 177 fireworks factories, without taking a single rupee,” she said, before referring to the industry’s response to the government’s actions.
Keerthana said there were five owners’ associations representing the fireworks sector and claimed that representatives of all five had appreciated the government’s handling of the licencing process.
“There are five owners’ associations, and all five associations have come and said, ‘Thank you so much, madam. We have never seen governance like this’. That kind of reputation and credit goes entirely to our Chief Minister today,” she said.
DMK CHALLENGES MINISTER
Former minister and DMK leader Thangam Thennarasu responded by turning the minister’s allegation back on the TVK government.
He referred to claims by the government that it had quickly processed the renewal of licences that had previously been held up.
“Now they (TVK) are claiming, ‘we have immediately processed all the renewals for those licences that had been put on hold; renewal is currently underway, and we are the ones who granted renewals to everyone,'” Thennarasu said, presenting what he described as allegations made by associations against the present government.
“The Honourable Minister had said that day that despite having issued all these renewals, the Member is still raising these allegations here,” he said.
He then posed a direct question to Keerthana.
“Now, I ask this. Certain associations have come and told me that you granted all those renewals only after taking money from everyone. Just as you claimed that some people approached you, certain associations and pharmacists are coming to us and alleging that you took bribes for all the renewals and approvals you have been issuing. Do you accept this?” Thennarasu asked.
Minister Keerthana then rejected the suggestion that she herself had made the specific allegation about bribes being paid for renewals.
Responding to Thennarasu, she said the claim had come from members of an association and that she had received documentary evidence from them by email.
“I did not utter that word. From the association there, all the owners from that association, even now, I am not uttering that word. People from the association came and stated it,” she said.
She even added that the association members had emailed her evidence to support their claim.
“They have sent me the evidence for that via email. If needed, I will submit that evidence. The owners from that association have emailed me the evidence. I am not the one saying this,” Keerthana said in the Assembly.
The exchange has turned the licencing of fireworks manufacturing units into a fresh political flashpoint in Tamil Naduwith the ruling TVK using the issue to allege corruption under the previous DMK administration, while the DMK has sought to put the current government on the defensive by raising counter-allegations about licence renewals.
– Ends
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