The Arumugasamy Commission has filed a report after the Jayalalitha death inquiry has been completed. In this case, the costs for the Arumugasamy Commission of Inquiry have been calculated and announced for the investigation.
Amid the controversy surrounding Jayalalithaa’s death, the Justice Arumugasamy Commission of Inquiry was set up in September 2017 to conduct an inquiry into the death and submit a report.
How was Jayalalitha’s health before being admitted to Apollo? Arumugasamy led commission conducted a detailed investigation on 154 people. Former judge Arumugasamy gave a 500-page report in English and 608 pages in Tamil to Chief Minister M.K.Stalin at the end of the 5-year-long investigation.
Earlier, in Apollo’s case seeking a ban on the Arumugasamy Commission, the Supreme Court had stayed the commission’s hearing. No efforts were made during the Edappadi Palaniswami regime to remove the ban. Therefore, during the ADMK regime, the Commission had alleged that “the Tamil Nadu Government Advocate and the Additional Chief Advocate are quietly enjoying themselves in the appeal case filed in the Supreme Court”.
M.K.Stalin, who was the leader of the opposition party on that day, accused that ‘Arumugasamy has blocked the Commission of Inquiry for EPS and OPS.
Later after the DMK came to power, efforts were made to remove the ban in the Supreme Court.
In this case, the expenses of this Arumugasamy Commission of Inquiry have been received exclusively. Accordingly basic salary of judge and officers, medical allowance, house rent allowance, city allowance, dearness allowance, traveling expenses, telephone charges, retail expenses, postal expenses, purchase and maintenance of vehicles, government lawyers fees, contract wages, petrol for vehicles and computer, stationery etc. A huge amount of expenditure is incurred in conducting a Commission of Inquiry.
In this respect, Justice Arumugasamy only for the Commission of Inquiry.
30,05,000 in the year 2017-2018 and Rs
83,06,000 in the year 2018-2019 and Rs
1,08,31,000 in the year 2019-2020 and Rs
1,03,25,000 in the year 2020-2021 and Rs
1,04,53,000 in the year 2021-2022 and Rs
51,92,000 rupees are said to have been spent in the year 2021-2022.
Overall, a total of 4 crore 81 lakh 12 thousand rupees has been spent.
DMK ruled only for the last two years of the 6th financial year. 1,08,31,000 rupees was spent in the year 2019-2020. They have spent the least amount in the financial year 2017-2018 when the commission was formed. All this money is government tax money.
30,21,000 rupees in the year 2020-21 and 32,51,000 rupees in the year 2021-22 have been spent only on the government prosecution fees. It is said that if the Edappadi Palaniswami government had taken efforts to remove the ban on Apollo purchase in the Supreme Court, the duration of the commission would have been reduced and the costs would have been reduced.
While Jayalalitha’s 75-day treatment at Apollo cost Rs 6 crore, the inquiry commission that probed Jayalalithaa’s death has spent Rs 4.81 crore.
-Ramesh