'Probe role of TN's ex-CM Palanisamy in giving road contracts'

Chennai, July 27 Anti-corruption non-governmental organisation (NGO) Arappor Iyakkam on Wednesday asked Tamil Nadu's Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to probe into the role of former Chief Minister and AIADMK leader K.Palanisamy in the award of road and bridge construction and maintenance tenders in the state.

Palanisamy was also the Minister for Highways when his party AIADMK was in power earlier.

In a complaint to DVAC, Arappor Iyakkam's Convenor Jayaram Venkatesan also urged the filing of an FIR alleging corruption and fraud in the award tenders that involved various public servants and contractors between 2019 to 2021.

A copy of the complaint has also been sent to the state Chief Secretary and Highways Secretary.

Venkatesan said the tender was fixed and Arappor Iyakkam had even sent the name of the winning contractor even before the tender was opened to the Highways Secretary.

He said there was violation of the Tender Act, inclusion of good roads for re-laying, not publishing in the newspapers about tender works and awarding the contracts at a higher rate.

Venkatesan said the loss estimated for the government is about Rs 692 crore.

Also, the contractors, who won these tenders such as SPK & Co & KCP Engineers Pvt Ltd, have been raided by the income tax department recently and around Rs 500 crore of fake expenses declared have been found, he said.