CHENNAI: The Madras High Court Monday observed that once a government starts functioning, its policy decisions must be "beyond its political ideologies".
It observed that Rs. 400 crore of taxpayers' money spent on the new secretariat became a "national waste".
The state government had earlier informed the court that it would not revive the Raghupathy Commission of Inquiry set up by the then AIADMK government in 2011 to probe alleged irregularities in construction of the new secretariat here during the DMK rule.
All such expenditure must be only in accordance with the Constitutional principles and the interest of the public at large, the court said.
"The powers under the Constitution are provided to the administrators only to protect the taxpayers money and spend the same judiciously and for the welfare of the people at large, following the procedures contemplated under the statutes as the state is the custodian," it added.
The government is not only responsible, but also accountable, it said.
"Any unlawful loss caused in respect to the taxpayers' money will not only be questioned and actions are to be initiated and the persons liable are to be certainly prosecuted under the penal laws," Justice SM Subramaniam said.
The court dismissed as withdrawn the petitions filed by DMK president M K Stalin and party treasurer Durai Murugan challenging the appointment of the commission and its questionnaire sent to them.
"Even for conversion of the new secretariat building to a speciality hospital, another few crores of rupees were spent by the state," the court said in its order.
"This court is of the considered opinion that once the elected government starts functioning and governing the state, their action, policy decision and expenditure must be beyond its political ideologies ...," Justice Subramaniam said.