Secret committees comprising selected officials and staff have been formed to examine alleged tender irregularities in key departments during the DMK government, according to the report.
Tamil Nadu has 41 departments, including municipal administration, revenue, public health, industry, rural development, water resources, agriculture, public works, highways, electricity, cooperation, school education and higher education. Major departments receive annual budget allocations ranging from about Rs 20,000 crore to Rs 40,000 crore, which are used for welfare support, subsidies and infrastructure works.
The report alleges that several works executed through contractors saw undue influence, with some former ministers said to have routed contracts through proxies or favoured select contractors, while commissions were allegedly collected even before work approvals. It further claims commissions of around 20% to 40% were involved in individual projects, with departmental officials also acting in collusion.
After the new government took charge, Chief Minister Vijay is said to have directed steps to end the “commission culture” in major departments and advised that ministers should not intervene in tender matters. With the Assembly session scheduled to begin on June 18, he has reportedly ordered the collection of data to respond to the government’s critics and former ministers.
As part of this exercise, “honest” officials and staff have been identified to form the committees, and an initial consultation has been held at the Secretariat under the leadership of department secretaries. The committees have begun gathering information, and detailed reports are expected to be submitted to the Chief Minister through the respective secretaries.
