The free run in heading the local bodies by 15 corporation commissioners and about 100 municipal commissioners without an elected council (mayors and councilors) and internal audits are the major reason for the large-scale corruption at local bodies that are now being probed by the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption, said an informed highly placed official. Lack of mayors’ and municipal chairmen gave a free run for the former local administration minister S P Velumani.

Usually, there is an infight between the local body heads and the local administration minister in deciding the tenders. This at times brings out malpractices, but lack of mayors in TN helped the former minister S P Velumani to be the most powerful politician in deciding tenders, an informed official who is now questioned by the DVAC told DT Next.

Quoting the FIR, that the former minister had allotted projects worth Rs 346.81 crore to companies owned by his relatives in Coimbatore Corporation and works estimated at Rs 464.02 crore in Greater Chennai Corporation, the official source noted that these tenders occurred during the absence of the mayor in Chennai and Coimbatore in 2017 and 2018.

Further, the practice of grid tender systems where micro-level projects are clubbed and given as a single large tender was practiced since 2014 and this system continues till date, benefitting companies based in Coimbatore, Namakkal, and Salem, the official added.

It may be noted that the DVAC had so far conducted raids on more than 60 locations in connection with the probe against AIADMK leader S P Velumani and had seized his bank accounts. Velumani had denied the charges by DVAC and has opined that the cases were foisted against him due to political vendetta.