EPS blames govt for flooding, CM orders probe into past projects

Opposition AIADMK and ruling DMK on Thursday blamed each other for Chennai floods that caused severe damage to public this monsoon. The debate also led to the announcement by Chief Minister MK Stalin that a probe committee will be formed to investigate all the irregularities that occurred during the previous AIADMK regime.

In his reply to Governor’s address, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Edappadi K Palaniswami said that the state had failed to provide motor pumps in the subways and noted that the 7.5 HP high power motor pumps were absent during the recent first spell of rains. He also charged that the civic body transferred the experienced engineers and failed to sanction adequate funds to desilt storm water drains. Every year, about Rs 8 crore is spent to desilt drains, but as part of cost cutting only Rs 3 crore was spent ahead of monsoon, EPS said.

“Further Chief Minister Stalin had said that water ways for about 750 km were cleared from silt, but there is no clarity on which stretch of the waterways was cleared. The fact that the Chennai Corporation removed 150 tonnes of plastic from drains after the deluge is an example to prove that the desiltation works were carried out after rains,” the AIADMK leader said. He alleged that the DMK was spreading falsehood stating that the Smart City project executed by the AIADMK was the reason for flooding of T Nagar and other parts of Chennai.

To this, Stalin said that the irregularities that occurred during the previous AIADMK regime was the root cause for all the flooding in Chennai. Stalin also blamed the AIADMK government for executing an ill designed Smart City project. “A committee will be formed to probe all the irregularities and bring out the truth,” Stalin said.

EPS also slammed the government for not providing Pongal cash prize and flood relief. He also said that the government had introduced new set of rules for reducing the number of beneficiaries in cooperatives jewel loans waiver and education loan waiver schemes.