Chennai: Madras high court on Wednesday directed Tamil Nadu govt to furnish records pertaining to Annal Ambedkar Business Champions Scheme(AABCS), through which 100 crore was allotted for the upliftment of sanitary workers as entrepreneurs.

Through the scheme, beneficiaries were provided financial aid to purchase sewage tanker vehicles.Admitting a public interest writ petition filed by YouTuber Savukku Shankar on Wednesday, a vacation bench of Justice G R Swaminathan and Justice V Lakshminarayanan directed the state to produce the records on Friday.

The petitioner wanted the court to order a CBI probe into the allegation.The petitioner said state govt allotted 524 crore over a span of seven years for sewerage management through the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board and the department of municipal administration. The state further announced AABC scheme by allotting 100 crore during 2023-24. A GO to this effect was issued by MSME department of the state on May 12, 2023. However, in blatant violation of the rules, the responsibility to implement the scheme was delegated to Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI), a private entity, he said.This not only defeated the purpose of the scheme but led to large-scale misappropriation of funds intended for the welfare of sanitation workers, he alleged. He alleged Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai and DICCI national president Ravikumar Narra were involved in the scam."Initially, DICCI recommended 87 people, of whom 39 are legal heirs of deceased sanitary workers and 48 people currently engaged in sanitary work to be benefitted under the scheme. Subsequently, another 133 people belonging to SC and ST communities were recommended, who are all members of the Congress party's SC/ST wing," he alleged.