DMK leader V Senthil Balaji resigned as Tamil Nadu minister, SC told
New Delhi(PTI): The Supreme Court was on Monday informed that DMK leader V Senthil Balaji stepped down as a Tamil Nadu minister and his resignation was accepted by Governor.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih perused a press release of the Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan which the state government submitted in court.
The top court, in the meantime, refused to accept the Enforcement Directorate's plea to bar Balaji from holding the post till trial in the case was over.
"A press release is handed over to us which records that he has tendered his resignation which has been accepted by the honourable Governor. Therefore, now there is no occasion to entertain this application," the bench said.
The apex court on April 23 asked Balaji to make a choice "between post and freedom" as it warned him of cancelling bail if he did not step down as minister in Tamil Nadu.
It took exception to the fact that Balaji was reinstated as a Tamil Nadu cabinet minister days after getting bail in a money laundering case related to the "cash-for-job" scam.
On September 26, 2024, the top court granted bail to Balaji, who had spent over 15 months in jail and observed there was no possibility of the completion of trial in the near future.
Balaji, 48, was sworn in as a minister by Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on September 29, last year and was assigned the same key portfolios -- electricity, non-conventional energy development, prohibition and excise -- he held previously in the Stalin cabinet.
Balaji, representing Karur assembly constituency, was arrested on June 14, 2023 in the case when he was the transport minister during the previous AIADMK regime between 2011 and 2015.
On February 13, last year, the TN Governor accepted Balaji's resignation from the council of ministers. The top court's reprieve on September 26, 2024 ended Balaji's 471-day incarceration.
The ED had filed a case of money laundering in July 2021 to probe the allegations after three FIRs were registered by the Tamil Nadu police in 2018 and on the basis of complaints by those aggrieved in the alleged scam.
Its chargesheet claimed the entire recruitment process in the state transport department during his tenure as a minister was turned into a "corrupt chiefdom".
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State will send ₹850 crore proposal to Centre for development of Malpe harbour: Min Mankal Vaidya
Udupi: The State will submit a Rs 850 crore proposal to the Union government for the overall development of the Malpe fishing harbour, Karnataka Minister Mankal S. Vaidya announced while laying the foundation stone for a Rs 12.52 crore modernisation project of the harbour under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
“If the Union government does not consider the proposal, the State government will finance the proposed project,” The Hindu quoted Vaidya, state's Minister for Fisheries, Ports and Inland Water Transport, as saying.
Vaidya noted that Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules continue to hinder coastal development in Karnataka, preventing the implementation of projects worth Rs 2,034 crore. He stressed the need for CRZ norms in the state to be aligned with those in other states, where such regulations do not pose a barrier to coastal infrastructure and development initiatives.
Speaking at the event, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Kota Srinivas Poojary said the PMMSY has revitalised the fisheries sector, enabling the implementation of several projects that benefit fishing communities nationwide. He urged the state government to prioritise dredging of estuaries and upgrading fisheries jetties to ensure year-round navigability and the safety of fishing vessels.
The Rs 12.52 crore modernisation project will focus on enhancing sanitation and water supply at the harbour, upgrading fish handling capacity, and strengthening security at the port, The Hindu quoted fisheries and ports officials as saying.
A reliable water supply and improved handling facilities are expected to speed up auctions and vessel turnarounds, while upgraded wastewater systems will help tackle long-standing issues of odour and contamination at the harbour.
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