Chennai, Nov 9 (PTI) The library book procurement process was heavily manipulated during the previous DMK regime to benefit unknown entities, bypassing established and reputed publishers, Tamil Nadu School Education Minister A Rajmohan claimed on Monday.
Initial verification indicated that multiple suspicious publishing firms were operating out of a single address.
The minister alleged that a syndicate, in collusion with officials and political figures, systematically procured these low-quality "trash" books to siphon funds and noted that established, reputable publishers were ignored in favor of unknown entities like "Agal Vilakku Pathippagam."
The publisher came under scrutiny last week after writer Perumal Murugan flagged irregularities regarding nearly 1,800 of its books stocked at the newly inaugurated Rs 300 crore Periyar Arivulagam library in Coimbatore. On Saturday, the Agal Vilakku Pathippagam books were removed from the library shelves. The School Education Department has filed an official complaint with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC).
The library book procurement "scam" has triggered a fierce political row, with the ruling TVK blaming the previous DMK government for approving the bulk purchase orders, while the opposition DMK has demanded an impartial probe to pinpoint which specific officials greenlit the fraudulent procurement.
All identified AI-generated books were being removed from libraries across the state, the minister told reporters here.
The authorities have sealed approximately 3,000 books in Coimbatore and identified 523 problematic books in the historic Connemara Public Library here.
Rajmohan highlighted specific examples of suspicious books, noting generic author bios, missing bibliographic information, and clear evidence of machine-made text and errors.
He said that no official or politician involved in this scam will escape legal consequences and that the government is dedicated to cleaning up the library department to protect students and readers.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)