[pinawinekolad]

The Jayalalithaa government on Friday announced a probe into alleged irregularities in the construction of the mega Assembly-Secretariat complex by the predecessor DMK regime, while scrapping most of its pet projects such as the housing and insurance schemes named after M. Karunanidhi. Also, in a move aimed at clipping the near-monopoly of the Maran-owned Sun TV network, the government has decided to revive state-run Arasu Cable TV Corporation “in public interest.” The announcements came in Governor Surjit Singh Barnala’s customary address to the new Assembly, which outlined the policies of the new government while promising that all the election promises made by the AIADMK would be implemented within the next 18 months.

DMK president M.Karunanidhi, predictably, skipped the session and spent the day, which happened to be his 88th birthday, sulking in a relative's house since his favourite daughter Kanimozhi is in Tihar jail in connection with the spectrum scam and her bail plea did not fructify.

It was left to his son M.K.Stalin to put up a brave face before the media and declare that the DMK was not worried about the probe into Assembly-Secretariat construction at Omanthoorar government estate.

Governor Barnala said the new complex lacked basic facilities and the construction work remained incomplete; yet, the predecessor regime hastily shifted some departments, including the offices of the chief minister and all ministers, thereby causing hardship to public.

Also, there have been allegations of “excess and wasteful expenditure and deficiency in the standards of construction” besides inordinate delay, the Governor said, announcing that a commission of inquiry headed by a retired judge of the high court would be constituted to probe into the irregularities.

It may be recalled that as opposition leader, Jayalalalithaa had faulted the aesthetics of the complex, inaugurated in great haste by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year and vowed not to step into the “circus tent”.