Cracking down on bribes: Tamil Nadu mandates bilingual DVAC complaint boards across all Govt offices
Chennai, July 15
In a renewed bid to eliminate institutional corruption, the Tamil Nadu government has issued a strict directive to all public offices, boards, and state-run corporations to prominently display bilingual anti-corruption notice boards.
The mandatory boards will carry an explicit anti-bribery slogan alongside direct contact channels, including a dedicated WhatsApp number, for the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC).
The intervention comes after state audits revealed that multiple administrative branches had systematically ignored a series of similar anti-graft statutory mandates issued over twelve years.
According to an official release, the fresh communication consolidates past regulatory oversight guidelines to eliminate compliance gaps. The state administration has directed Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, Heads of Departments, and all District Collectors to ensure absolute compliance within their respective jurisdictions.
Bilingual notice boards carrying the slogan "Bribe giving and receiving is an offence" along with the contact details, including the WhatsApp number 94981 80936, of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) is to be displayed across all state government offices for reporting bribery-related complaints.
"It has been decided to issue consolidated instructions," the government statement read, highlighting that despite repeated orders issued between 2006 and 2018, several offices and departments had failed to prominently display the mandatory anti-bribery notice boards in public places.
To ensure citizens are equipped to immediately report corrupt practices, the newly mandated signage will carry the clear message: "Bribe giving and receiving is an offence."
The boards will feature the contact details of the DVAC, including the active citizen-grievance WhatsApp number: 94981 80936.
The scope of the directive extends beyond physical real estate. The government has ordered all offices, local civic bodies, and public sector undertakings to seamlessly integrate the anti-corruption message into their digital infrastructure.
Official department websites must now feature the anti-bribery warning along with a direct digital hyperlink routing users to the main portal of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption.
To prevent these orders from remaining purely on paper, the state has activated ground-level monitoring teams. The Inspection Wings and specialised Inspection Cells operating within District Collectorates have been officially deputed to conduct surprise field audits across government installations to verify that the directive is being actively and properly implemented.
— ANI
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