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The Tamil Nadu government has directed all government departments, district administrations, local bodies, and public sector undertakings to prominently display anti-bribery notice boards carrying the message, “Bribe giving and receiving is an offence”, along with the contact details of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC).
In a circular issued on July 14, Chief Secretary M Sai Kumar said repeated instructions issued by the government over the years had not been implemented uniformly, with several offices either failing to install the notice boards or displaying them in places that were not easily visible to the public.
The latest directions mandate that Bilingual (Tamil and English) boards be installed at prominent locations in all government offices. The notice boards will carry the DVAC’s address, telephone numbers, WhatsApp number, fax number, and email ID to enable the public to report corruption.
The government has also directed all departments to display the same anti-bribery messages on their official websites, along with a link to the DVAC portal.
The government also tasked inspection wings in departments and inspection cells in district collectorates with verifying whether the boards have been installed and the directions implemented during their inspections. Departments have also been asked to submit compliance reports to the Human Resources Management Department after ensuring the order has been implemented across offices under their control.
The order comes weeks after Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, during the recent Assembly session, said his government would neither tolerate the misuse of public funds nor spare those involved in corruption. He also said he would not touch even a “single paisa” of public money and that those found guilty of corruption would face action.
Earlier this month, the government launched a dedicated DVAC WhatsApp helpline 9498180936 through which people can report bribes. Complaints can also be submitted by email to dvac@nic.in or in person or by post to the DVAC, No. 293, MKN Road, Alandur, Chennai - 600 016.