Latest news with #GengreenLogistics
India Today
19-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
Supreme Court halts order on plea against Tamil Nadu sanitation scheme
The Supreme Court halted a recent order by the Madras High Court in a case filed by YouTuber Savukku Shankar against a government sanitation scheme. The top court questioned the urgency with which the high court heard and disposed of the matter during court vacation. The case pertains to Shankar's petition challenging the Tamil Nadu government's 'Sanipreneur' development occurred during the hearing of a Special Leave Petition filed by the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) and a private firm, Gengreen Logistics, before a Bench led by the Chief Justice. Savukku Shankar was represented by counsel, who responded to the court's pointed query about the 'grave urgency' in rushing through the matter without giving other parties a chance to be heard. The Supreme Court permitted DICCI and Gengreen Logistics to file impleading applications and directed that the High Court's order would remain in abeyance until both parties were impleaded and allowed to file dispute traces back to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Shankar in the Madras High Court, where he alleged corruption in the Sanipreneur scheme. The programme, short for Sanitation Entrepreneurs, is a Tamil Nadu government initiative aimed at eradicating manual scavenging by engaging former manual scavengers as sanitation contractors using machines and modern equipment. Shankar contended that the scheme had been outsourced improperly to a private Madras High Court, while hearing the PIL, had questioned the Tamil Nadu government on whether Veeramani Radhakrishnan, the nephew of Tamil Nadu Congress president Selvaperunthagai, was indeed a director of Gengreen Logistics, the firm now facing corruption allegations. The High Court also granted the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) time till May 21 to submit full details of the a statement to India Today, Shankar had alleged: 'The Tamil Nadu government has adequate resources to implement any scheme on its own. It does not require the services of any private firm. However, it strangely chose a private company to implement the 'Sanipreneur' scheme.'He had further claimed that DICCI president Ravi Kumar Nara and Veeramani Radhakrishnan had started Gengreen Logistics specifically for the purpose of securing contracts under the scheme. 'The entire Sanipreneur scheme appears to be a scam. The so-called beneficiaries are not genuine and are reportedly members of the Congress party's SC/ST wing,' he had has also demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter. IN THIS STORY#Tamil Nadu
India Today
16-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Madras High Court questions private firm link in Tamil Nadu sanitation scheme
The Madras High Court on Friday raised questions about the alleged involvement of a Congress leader's relative in a firm accused of corruption in a state government sanitation court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by YouTuber and political commentator 'Savukku' Shankar demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).During the hearing, the High Court questioned the Tamil Nadu government whether Veeramani Radhakrishnan — the nephew of Tamil Nadu Congress chief Selvaperunthagai — is one of the directors of a private firm Gengreen Logistics and Management, which is facing corruption The corruption charges are tied to Tamil Nadu's flagship 'Sanipreneurs' scheme, meant to eradicate manual scavenging through mechanised solutions. Shankar also accused the state government of misusing the division bench, comprising Justices GR Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayanan, directed the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) to submit detailed records of the scheme's implementation by May bench then cautioned the state saying, 'If it is true, then you're in trouble.'Gengreen Logistics is the private firm reportedly tasked with executing the 'Sanipreneurs' scheme, which was launched by the Tamil Nadu government to eliminate manual scavenging by training and employing sanitation workers as 'Sanitation Entrepreneurs'.Under this initiative, mechanised equipment is provided for safe sewer maintenance, and government tenders are awarded to these trained individuals or however, claims that the scheme was hijacked by political interests.'The Tamil Nadu government has adequate resources to implement any scheme on its own. It does not require the services of any private firm,' he told India Today. 'However, it strangely chose a private company to implement the 'Sanipreneur' scheme.'He further alleged that the firm Gengreen Logistics was floated by Ravi Kumar Nara, president of the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI), along with Veeramani Radhakrishnan. According to Shankar, the real beneficiaries are not genuine sanitation workers but members of the Congress party's Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe wing.'The entire Sanipreneur scheme appears to be a scam,' he said. 'The so-called beneficiaries are reportedly members of the Congress party's SC/ST wing.'
