The Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board has begun an inquiry in Erode after a complaint alleged that vehicles contracted for official work were being used for the personal purposes of officials. The inquiry covers vehicle records, trip sheets and the stated need for each journey.
The investigation was conducted at the board’s Superintending Engineer’s office in Sengodampalayam, Erode. The office serves as the headquarters for the board’s operations in Erode, Tiruppur and Karur districts.
Vehicles have been provided on a contract basis for engineers travelling for office-related requirements. The complaint submitted to the board’s headquarters in Chennai alleged that officials in the Erode Executive Engineer’s office had misused their authority by using these contracted vehicles for personal purposes.
Following the complaint, Selvakumar, Superintending Engineer of the Water Supply and Drainage Board in Coimbatore, and Gokulraj, Assistant Executive Engineer, visited the Erode office. They questioned officials from all sections as well as the vehicle drivers during the inquiry.
The officials also sought explanations about the trip sheets maintained for the vehicles and the reasons recorded for individual journeys. These records are central to determining whether the vehicles were deployed for authorised departmental work or for purposes unrelated to the board’s operations.
The vehicles are part of the administrative support system for engineers working across the board’s jurisdiction. Their use is linked to the movement of officials and the functioning of offices responsible for water supply and drainage-related work in the three districts. The complaint therefore concerns not only individual vehicle use but also the controls governing contracted public-service transport.
The visiting officials said that an inquiry report would be sent to the board’s headquarters in Chennai. The report is expected to record the explanations obtained from the officers and drivers and the details available in the trip sheets and other related records.
The source report does not establish whether misuse occurred or whether disciplinary action will follow. Those questions will depend on the findings submitted to the headquarters after the inquiry. Until then, the complaint remains an allegation under examination by the board.
