CHENNAI: As an extension of its crackdown on corruption, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) on Saturday suspended seven more officials who came under the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) scanner during raids at its zone 6 and zone 9 offices earlier this month.
Senior civic officials said the disciplinary proceedings against the suspended officials would be completed within three months, and that they are likely to be dismissed or removed from service.
The suspended civic officials include an executive engineer, an assistant executive engineer, an assistant engineer, a junior assistant, an accounts section superintendent, a sanitary officer, and a conservancy supervisor.
During the raids, the DVAC scrutinised cash, documents and financial transactions linked to the officials. According to officials, some of them failed to explain the source of cash and digital transactions. An assistant executive engineer allegedly could not account for GPay transactions worth Rs 2.39 lakh. The agency also seized Rs 41,790 in cash from the Zone 6 office and Rs 1,39,800 from the Zone 9 office.
Senior corporation officials said time-bound departmental inquiries would be initiated immediately by the officials’ respective superiors. They said the action was intended not only to facilitate the dismissal or removal of those found guilty but also to send a strong message that corruption would not be tolerated.
“FIRs have been registered in three cases involving unaccounted cash. In the remaining cases, irregularities relate to vouchers and similar records. Departmental inquiries are decided on the principle of the preponderance of probabilities, unlike criminal cases, which require proof beyond reasonable doubt. We will follow due process and complete the proceedings within three months. Those found guilty will be removed from service, while officials against whom FIRs have been registered will also face criminal prosecution,” a senior official said.
The official added both the DVAC and the corporation would continue to conduct surprise inspections across offices to curb corruption.
The city corporation is also planning to organise training programmes to help officials avoid bona fide procedural errors in tendering and other administrative processes.
The latest action comes days after the corporation suspended six other officials in separate corruption-related cases.
With the latest suspensions, a total of 14 officials have been placed under suspension in the recent anti-corruption drive, said officials.