Former school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi was recently questioned by CCB police about the alleged collection of money from private school managements on the promise of govt approvals
Bills for `2,500 crore of completed works remain unpaid to contractors in Chennai,” he said. “Despite exposing a `108-crore scam involving funds meant for women’s self-help groups in western and southern districts, govt did nothing. Fresh tenders floated for power purchases at rates ranging from `35 to `41 per unit have raised questions over transparency. N Veera, a TVK functionary and Mambakkam panchayat president, was arrested on charges of taking `1.3 lakh from a contractor to clear pending bills. Brick kiln owners in Kaniyambadi in Vellore district recently protested accusing TVK functionary T R Vijayakumar of demanding `1 lakh from kiln operators as bribe.
He told people not to pay bribes and soon introduced a Whatsapp number for the public to send complaints.
TVK president C Joseph Vijay assumed office as chief minister on May 10 with the promise that he “will neither touch a paisa of public money nor allow anyone to do so”. Property registration remains efficient “only if a premium is paid,” as a property owner said. A senior minister said removal of corruption is a mission just begun. “We cannot eradicate it immediately,” he said. R Rama Rao, a civil contractor, says most politicians in the ruling party have remained free of corruption so far, but early signs of a relapse are showing. “Some bureaucrats with links to scamsters are exploiting the new govt’s inexperience,” he said. A Ramakrishnan, an RTI activist, said govt needs to get stricter against corruption. Instead, the audit team that unearthed the irregularities was transferred,” he said. BJP functionary Vinoj P Selvam said the higher purchase rates warranted a thorough investigation. There are questions over files remaining pending indefinitely and development works not taking off,” he said. A bureaucrat in the rank of additional chief secretary said TVK functionaries who are neither ministers nor MLAs have started demanding money from contractors and others seeking govt clearance.
TOI spoke to a cross-section of people and found the demand for bribes has considerably come down in govt offices, but the delivery of services has slowed down in the absence of under-the-table deals. Some revenue staff continue to ask for money to issue pattas; some contractors say files do not move unless palms at municipal corporation offices are greased. Now govt employees don’t demand a sum, but some of them take whatever is given. Rao rejected govt claims that tenders floated during the DMK regime were scrapped to ensure transparency. “In reality, govt lacks funds to execute those projects. And some of the govt decisions have come under scrutiny. “Corruption is down, but not out.