On 10 June 2025, the Madras High Court dismissed a plea filed by YouTuber Savukku Shankar seeking a CBI investigation into alleged fund misappropriation under the Annal Ambedkar Business Champions Scheme (AABCS). The petition claimed irregularities in the allocation and implementation of ₹100 crore designated to support sanitation workers in becoming entrepreneurs.
The case was heard by a division bench comprising Justice G.R. Swaminathan and Justice V. Lakshminarayanan, who ruled that while a CBI inquiry was not warranted, the scheme’s benefits must be exclusively directed toward sanitation workers. The court ordered the state to submit all relevant documents related to the AABCS for review.
As per the petitioner, the Tamil Nadu government had previously earmarked ₹524 crore over seven years for sewage management, executed through the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) and the Department of Municipal Administration. In 2023-24, a separate allocation of ₹100 crore was announced for the AABCS, with a government order issued by the MSME department on 12 May 2023.
Shankar alleged that despite guidelines, the scheme’s implementation was handed over to the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI), a private organization. He contended that DICCI initially proposed 87 beneficiaries, comprising 39 legal heirs of deceased sanitary workers and 48 currently employed in sanitation work. He further claimed that an additional 133 individuals from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, allegedly linked to the Congress party’s SC/ST wing, were later added, raising questions about political favoritism and eligibility compliance.
(With inputs from TOI)
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