Arappor Iyakkam urged CM C Joseph Vijay for reforms to fight corruption.
CHENNAI: Arappor Iyakkam has submitted a detailed memorandum to chief minister C Joseph Vijay seeking legal and administrative reforms to curb corruption, improve transparency and accountability, increase state revenue and recover losses caused by alleged irregularities.
On government tenders, Arappor claimed Tamil Nadu spends around Rs 2.5 lakh crore to Rs 3 lakh crore annually on infrastructure and procurement, and alleged that at least 20% of the amount is lost through tender irregularities. It sought mandatory end-to-end e-tendering for all government contracts above Rs 1 lakh and demanded that single-bid tenders, including those where only one bidder qualifies technically, be cancelled and re-tendered. Arappor said its DVAC complaints over the past 10 years, supported by evidence, had highlighted alleged corruption worth more than Rs 70,000 crore.
It sought mandatory social audits and local participation before payments are released for public works, including road projects. On administrative reforms, the organisation sought a Right to Services Act that would guarantee delivery of government services within specified timelines and impose penalties on officials responsible for delays. It urged the government to register FIRs on all eligible complaints listed in its memorandum and file chargesheets without delay in cases where investigations had been completed. It also sought recovery of losses caused to the state through corruption. For greater transparency, it proposed a unified public information portal and app containing details of government schemes, tenders and welfare programmes. Arappor also called for integrity and corruption-free governance training for government employees every six months.