‘Bribe Taken Via G-Pay From Hotel Owners Wanting TN State Govt Buses To Halt At Their Premises, Gave Complaint To DVAC’: Political Commentator Savukku Shankar

Political commentator Savukku Shankar today (12 October) filed a complaint with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), alleging corruption in the process of selecting hotels where state transport corporation buses would stop for food and snacks.

He said that during the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) regime, the fees was fixed at Rs 102 for Express buses and Rs 62 for regular buses but during the tenure of RS Rajakannappan as Transport minister, this was reduced to Rs 75 and Rs 50 respectively and the balance amount used to be taken by him as bribe.

He alleged that the same had continued under the same administration.

Regarding the process of selection of hotels, he said that the Transport department conducts a tender process every two years and the tender is awarded to the highest bidder.

He then stated after SS Sivasankar became the Transport minister, new tenders were issued and a person named Thangavel collected bribes in the name of the minister by acting as a broker for Louis Kathiravan, a PA of Sivasankar, who allegedly acts as his benami.

Speaking about the modus operandi allegedly adopted by Thangavel, he said that restaurant owners were told that he could secure them the tender through meetings with the minister if he was paid a certain amount.

These amounts ranging from Rs 20000 to Rs 50000 or more were received via Google Pay, he alleged, showing a printout of such transactions.

Further, he said that while it was an e-tender, 29 hotel owners submitted their applications from the same IP address, which was at a hotel named Noor Mahal, located near a toll plaza.

He added that the bids were inflated and registered just before the last date of the tender.

Accusing the DVAC of working in favour of the ruling party, he said that it was not just he who was making the accusation but the same had been stated by the Madras High Court in various cases and added that if it did not take the necessary steps, he would resort to legal action.