5 officials suspended over Periyar library book purchases

CHENNAI: Four librarians and a Chief Accounts Officer have been suspended over alleged irregularities in the purchase of books for Periyar Arivulagam in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The officials were members of the coordinating committee and price negotiating committee involved in the procurement process.

Those suspended include S. Kamatchi, Chief Librarian and Information Officer (in-charge) and Deputy Chief Librarian at Anna Centenary Library (ACL), Chennai.

The other officials are Dinesh Kumar, Chief Librarian and Information Officer (in-charge) at Kalaignar Centenary Library, Madurai; V. Santhanakrishnan, Librarian and Information Officer at the same library, who is also in charge of Periyar Library; and Santhana Karthikeyan, Librarian and Information Officer at Anna Centenary Library, Chennai.

J. Juliet, Chief Accounts Officer at the Directorate of Public Libraries, is the fifth official placed under suspension.

The action follows concerns over alleged irregularities in the procurement of books for the facility in Coimbatore. The suspended officials were associated with committees responsible for coordinating the purchase and negotiating prices.