Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has promised a corruption-free governance as a central promise of his administration. In his first months in office, he has spoken about strengthening vigilance mechanisms, ensuring transparency in government contracts and taking action against officials involved in corruption.
But how much of this is translating into change on the ground? Tamil Nadu already has institutions such as the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to investigate and act on corruption complaints. Yet questions over the independence of these mechanisms, delays in investigations and the role of political and administrative approvals remain.
In this week’s episode of Yen Endra Kelvi, Shabbir Ahmed speaks to Jayaram Venkatesh, Convener of Arappor Iyakkam, to examine whether government anti-corruption steps becoming more effective, how officials are responding to the new government’s approach, and discuss about building a system that can sustain the fight against corruption.