8 yrs after genset purchase fraud, ex-Tiruvannamalai municipal commissioner probed

Chennai

The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has listed P Vijayalakshmi, formerly municipal commissioner, Tiruvannamalai municipality and now working as joint director at Tamil Nadu Urban Livelihood Mission, Nunkambakkam, Chennai, S Valli, assistant engineer, Tiruvannamalai municipality, and R Arasappan, municipal contractor, Tiruvannamalai municipality, as accused in the case.

In 2012, Tiruvannamalai municipality had accepted the lowest quotation offered by R Arasappan and made a contract agreement with the then municipality commissioner to execute the work.

Following that, work order was issued to Arasappan in June 2012 asking him to complete supply and fixation of 125 KV generator. The accused officers 1 and 2 passed the bill and made the payment for Rs 8.97 lakh in August to Arasappan.

The then commissioner and AE along with Arasappan conspired to fabricate documents to show the generator was purchased for Rs 8.47 lakh and the total expenses incurred for executing the project was recorded as Rs 9.96 lakh.

DVAC found that the records were forged as if the generator was purchased for Rs 8.47 lakh, much higher than the actual cost of Rs 6.39 lakh, causing losses worth Rs 2.08 lakh to the government.