Assistants of CM, wife cornered housing plots

Chennai, Dec. 7: Not only babus and netas benefited under the ‘preferential’ allocation of TNHB plots but even the assistants of chief minister M. Karunanidhi and his wife Rajathiammal have benefited.

According to documents available with this newspaper, Mr Karunanidhi’s assistant K. Nithiyanandam and Ms Rajathiammal’s personal assistant S. Saravanan got allotments in TNHB under the ‘government discretionary quota’ in the ‘social worker’ category.

Mr Nithiyanandam and Mr Saravanan were allotted 2,100 sq ft costing `50.82 lakh and 2,180 sq ft (`58.08 lakh) of prime plots in Tiruvanmiyur Extension in March 2008. The duo paid `20.32 lakh and `21.10 lakh as initial deposits.

The sons and daughters of the CM’s secretaries – S. Rajarethinam, Dr K. Rajamanickam and M. Devaraj – also got allotments as social workers.

Mr Rajarethinam’s son R. Thirumavalavan got a 4,506 sq ft plot at Kamarajar Nagar in Tiruvanmiyur for `1.09 crore, while Mr Rajamanickam’s son R. Durga Sankar and Mr Devaraj’s daughter Deepa got plots measuring 4,668 sq ft (`1.12 crore) and 4,466 sq ft (`1.08 crore).

Housing minister I. Periasami said allotments under discretionary quota were made as per rules. “If any irregularities are brought to our notice, we will take necessary action,” he said.