A civil society organisation has submitted a memorandum to Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay seeking legal and administrative reforms covering government tenders, road construction, corruption investigations, public services and the disclosure of state spending.
Arappor Iyakkam said its proposals are based on a framework of “transparency + accountability + people participation – monopoly – discretion”. The organisation urged the state government to act on pending complaints and introduce measures intended to reduce alleged losses from irregularities in procurement and public works.
On government contracts, Arappor claimed that Tamil Nadu spends about Rs 2.5 lakh crore to Rs 3 lakh crore annually on infrastructure and procurement. It alleged that at least 20% of this expenditure is lost through tender irregularities, estimating the potential annual loss to the state at between Rs 50,000 crore and Rs 60,000 crore. These figures were presented by the organisation in its memorandum and were not independently established in the report.
The group sought mandatory end-to-end e-tendering for all government contracts above Rs 1 lakh. It also demanded that single-bid tenders, including tenders in which only one bidder qualifies technically, be cancelled and issued again. Arappor proposed removing discretionary eligibility requirements such as site inspections and machinery certificates for contractors, and suggested that eligibility instead be assessed on the basis of turnover.
For road projects, the organisation called for works to be sanctioned using the road roughness index. It said this would help prevent roads that remain in good condition from being repeatedly relaid. Arappor also sought mandatory social audits and local participation before payments are released for public works, including road projects.
The memorandum includes wider administrative proposals. Arappor called for a Right to Services Act that would require government departments to deliver services within specified timelines and impose penalties on officials responsible for delays. It also sought a stronger Lokayukta with independent investigative powers, autonomous appointments and financial independence.
On corruption cases, the organisation proposed special courts and called for FIRs to be registered within one month of complaints, chargesheets to be filed within three months and trials to be completed within six months. Arappor said complaints submitted to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption over the past decade, and supported by evidence, had identified alleged corruption worth more than Rs 70,000 crore.
The organisation urged the government to register FIRs in all eligible cases identified in its memorandum and file chargesheets where investigations have already been completed. It also called for the recovery of losses allegedly caused to the state through corruption.
The revenue-related proposals include repeal of G. O. (Ms) No. 3. Arappor alleged that the order enabled people involved in illegal stone quarrying, including in Tirunelveli, to avoid paying the full value of extracted minerals by settling for low penalties. It also alleged that 50% of TASMAC sales go unaccounted for, resulting in an annual tax loss of Rs 25,000 crore, and sought end-to-end digital billing and auditing.
The organisation further called for property guideline values to be aligned with market values to address alleged black-money transactions and stamp-duty losses. It sought recovery of losses linked to alleged illegal mineral and river-sand mining in accordance with court orders.
For public transparency, Arappor proposed a unified information portal and mobile application providing details of government schemes, tenders and welfare programmes. It also sought corruption-free governance training for government employees every six months.
Arappor coordinator Jayaram Venkatesan urged the chief minister to consider the recommendations, act on pending Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption complaints and introduce the proposed legal and administrative changes. The memorandum did not itself establish whether the government would accept or implement the proposals.
