Officials in jitters after DVAC raids on ex-ministers’ properties

According to highly placed sources, at least six officers, including a few IAS, are in soup for their alleged association with former minister Velumani. There has been no recent trend of IAS officers or senior officials getting convicted, but the recent raids had created a sense of discomfort among the serving officials who were in close touch with AIADMK heavyweights, a senior official confirmed to DT Next.

Adding to the mental agony of officers, who were earlier reporting to Velumani, fresh information has started pouring in, sources said, on Smart City, Swachh Bharat schemes also being under the DVAC scanner.

N Murali, partner, RSM foods private limited that runs Sangeetha Group of Hotels had submitted fresh details and has made a deposition before the DVAC and government officials stating that a former corporation commissioner and an executive engineer demanded a bribe of Rs 3.5 crore to clear the pending bills for the hotel group that supplied food for the doctors, nurses and COVID volunteers during the period from May 2020 to January 2021.

“We served food risking our lives during the pandemic to earn the goodwill of Chennaiites, but we were made to run from pillar to post to get our bills running into Rs 23 crores cleared. We are taking up this issue legally and we will seek justice in the court of law,” Murali told this newspaper.

As on date, Rs 4,52,76,958 has been still pending clearance from the Greater Chennai Corporation for administrative clearance and this was done as we were not ready for illegal gratification demanded from us, alleged Murali sharing the bill documents and the conversation details between RSM foods and the local administration ministry and Chennai corporation officials.

According to Arappor Iyakkam the officers who were attached to the Chennai and Coimbatore Corporation will have a tough time during investigations for giving tenders in violation of the Public Representative Act and state tender rules.