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The free colour TV scheme implemented during the previous DMK regime is likely to come under the scanner of the government, sources said.

The DMK could well have to answer allegations of diversion of several crores of rupees from welfare funds for Scheduled Castes for one of its flagship schemes.

A city-based lawyer has sent a legal notice to the chief secretary of the state, demanding a thorough

investigation into the diversion of `74.9 crore from welfare fund for SCs to procure free colour TV sets by the previous government earlier this year.

In his notice, advocate Raja Senthoor Pandian, whose case is based on information obtained through the RTI Act, has alleged that the former government passed GO (2D) No.8 on February 24, 2011, through which it diverted of `74.91 crore from the SC welfare fund to ELCOT (Electronic Corporation of Tamil Nadu) to procure `10 lakh TV sets in the sixth phase of implementation of the free TV set scheme without “proper approval from the State Assembly” less than a week before the Election Code of Conduct came into force on March 1, 2011.

“The former government, without there being any urgent need to purchase 10 lakh colour TV sets, conspired to pass a GO to divert SC welfare funds in gross violation of law to provide the sops ahead of the elections,” the notice said.

The notice also sought that a probe be ordered into the issue by an “investigating agency”.