Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has instructed heads of departments to act immediately on bribery complaints, including those involving senior officials, and to ensure such complaints are not suppressed.
According to a senior government official, citizens and contractors frequently visit section, division, taluk, district, regional and head offices to obtain services or for contract-related work. Complaints of bribery are often acted upon at the lower levels, from junior staff to office-level administrators.
However, the official said action is often not taken when allegations involve officers at district, regional or headquarters levels. He attributed this to their proximity to district and department ministers and the influence of recommendations that help them secure postings.
To curb corruption across all levels, the government has now directed that any complaint letter against an officer or senior officer must be forwarded to the concerned vigilance officials, an inquiry ordered, and strict action taken if the allegations are found to be true.
