Chennai NGO demands suspension of GCC chief engineer accused of corruption

Chennai-based NGO Arappor Iyakkam on Monday, May 8 pushed for the suspension of the Chief Engineer of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), L Nandakumar, who is currently being investigated for corruption by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC). This is the second time that the NGO has urged his suspension. The plea was initially submitted to Chief Minister MK Stalin in 2021 following two complaints that the NGO had filed with the DVAC between 2018 and 2021, accusing Nandakumar of wrongful bidding practices and awarding contracts illegally.

Ahead of Nandakumar’s retirement on May 31 this year, Arappor Iyakkam highlighted through a letter to CM Stalin that the government should immediately suspend and dismiss him, as he is under investigation in three cases. “The action of the government in suspending and dismissing him will deter other public servants from getting involved in such malpractices,” the letter read.

Jayaram Venkatesan, the founder of Arappor Iyakkam, said that the first complaint against the Chief Engineer was filed in 2018, when the NGO accused him of engaging in collusive bidding practices. The complaint said that the M20 readymix concrete component in road tenders were awarded for Rs 10,000 and Rs 12,000, when the actual market price at the time was half. This reportedly resulted in hundreds of crores of losses to the exchequer.

Jayaram told TNM, “Although the complaint was filed in November 2018, no action was initiated. The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government was ruling then and they tried to close the case. Action was initiated after the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government came to power in 2021.”

In 2021, Arappor Iyakkam registered a second complaint with the DVAC of tender-related corruption in laying roads in Chennai. The complaint accused Nandakumar and former minister of Municipal Administration SP Velumani of illegal road tender collusion. Following this complaint, the DVAC through a report highlighted that several officials had deliberately overlooked irregularities in the tenders for road contracts. Nandakumar has been under investigation since the report was made public in September 2021.

Last year, the NGO filed a third complaint with the DVAC stating that Nandakumar awarded tenders for advertising on 400 bus shelters to three firms that were registered with the same address. In the complaint, the NGO said that all the three firms were suspiciously registered only a few months before the tender was announced. Jayaram added, “All the three companies were inexperienced but they were the only contenders allowed by Nandakumar to participate. Eventually they were offered the contract for 15 years. We have submitted evidence for money laundering by these firms with the DVAC to the tune of about Rs 400 crore.”