As reported in newindpress.com on 1 May 2008: Demand to sack P K Sreemathi - Newindpress.com Demand to sack P K Sreemathi
T'PURAM: The information obtained from General Administration Department by AIADMK state secretary Srinivasan Venugopal under the Right to Information Act, a copy of which is with this website's newspaper, confirms the presence of Dhanya M Nair, daughter-in-law of Health Minister P K Sreemathi, in her 22-member personal staff.
Her address is given as Aradhanan, Thalap, Kannur. An inquiry at the General Administration Department has revealed that the gross salary drawn by Dhanya per month is around Rs 17,000. In addition, she will be eligible for monthly pension once she completes two years in the personal staff.
The issue of Sreemathi's personal interest in selecting the staff is all set to develop into a major political controversy. The AIADMK state unit sent a petition to Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan on Wednesday asking him to sack Sreemathi from the Cabinet.
In his petition, secretary Venugopal alleged that Sreemathi had violated the oaths of office and secrecy by inducting her daughter-in-law into the personal staff. The Minister's action amounts to misuse of power, corruption and nepotism - the practices loudly decried by the CPM, said the complaint.