Madras High Court Refuses CBI Probe on Savukku Shankar's Plea, But Orders Overhaul of ‘Sanipreneur’ Scheme

The Madras High Court has directed a complete restructuring of a Tamil Nadu government scheme aimed at uplifting sanitation workers after finding that the initiative, in its current form, deviated significantly from its stated objective of promoting “sanipreneurs.”

A division bench of Justices G.R. Swaminathan and V. Lakshminarayanan was hearing a writ petition filed by YouTuber and activist A Shankar, also known as Savukku Shankar, who had sought a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the implementation of the scheme. Shankar alleged that funds disbursed under the NAMASTE and AABCS programmes were misused, with contracts being awarded to individuals who were neither sanitation workers nor their legal heirs.

According to the petitioner, the selection of beneficiaries was not carried out by government departments but was instead outsourced to the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI), a non-statutory entity. He further alleged that those selected were directed to enter into agreements with a private firm, Gengreen Logistics and Management Pvt. Ltd, with which DICCI shared overlapping leadership. Gengreen, incorporated just days before contracts were issued, became the central body managing the operations, rather than a group management company formed by the beneficiaries themselves.

The court, in a detailed order issued on June 10, noted that while the original government orders and tender documents envisaged empowering sanitary workers to become independent entrepreneurs, the present arrangement had effectively bypassed that goal. “The arrangement now put in place is not in consonance with what was originally envisaged,” the bench observed.

The high court took note of a public speech by the Chief Minister, in which it was acknowledged that DICCI was brought in as a collaborator on the recommendation of Congress MLA Selvaperunthagai. The petitioner alleged that one of Gengreen’s directors, R Veeramani, is related to the MLA. Although this claim remained unverified in court, it added to the concerns surrounding conflict of interest and lack of transparency in the process.

Faced with the court’s questions, Ravikumar Narra, who heads both DICCI and Gengreen, acknowledged the discrepancies and gave an undertaking to restructure the implementation to comply with the original scheme objectives. The court recorded this assurance and issued a series of directions to ensure compliance.

The court has ordered the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) to review the list of 213 beneficiaries, verify their eligibility under the categories outlined in the tender, and remove any ineligible names. The exercise is to be completed within six weeks. It further directed that Gengreen’s shareholding be limited to sanitation workers or their legal heirs alone and asked DICCI to function strictly in a mentoring capacity, with no financial role.

Noting that the petitioner’s grievances had been substantially addressed due to the court’s intervention and the respondents’ cooperation, the bench declined to direct registration of an FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

“The noble object of the subject process would be effectuated in letter and spirit,” the court said, adding that the benefits of the government’s scheme must reach those for whom it was intended.

Case Title: A.Shankar Alias Savukku Shankar Vs. The Director Central Bureau of Investigation and Others