Written for Arappor Iyakkam, the guide discusses how best to fight corruption in existing state of hyper-corruption in Tamil Nadu. Specifically, it distinguishes between big-ticket and retail corruption; suggests campaigns for fighting bribes, and focused teams for fighting big-ticket corruption. It also suggest networking and the use of technology to assist in the fight. Some specific strategies, such as targeting corrupt officials rather than politicians is also discussed

1. Fighting Corruption in Tamil
Nadu
Strategies for a struggle
-Ramiah Ariya

2. Agenda
•State of Corruption in Tamil Nadu
•How an Anti-Corruption NGO should fight it

3. Tamil Nadu is at the state of Hyper Corruption
Retail Corruption (Bribes from Public)
Big-Ticket Corruption (in Public Private Partnerships, Tenders and Cronyism)
Regulatory Corruption (In Education, Health, Giving Pollution clearances)

4. Every Means of Corruption is Exploited
• All “Means of Corruption” in a public department are fully exploited
and money generated
• These Means include Public Interface, Procurement, Tenders,
Recruitment
• Sample TNEB in next page
• Every license and every public scheme are sources that are exploited

5. Corruption in Just One Department
Tamil
Nadu
Electricity
Board
Materials
Procurement
For Public –
Giving
Electricity
Connection
For
Commercial
connections
Tenders
for Other
Contracts
Tenders for
Power
generation
Staff
Recruitment

6. Economy of Corruption
• Centralized – All illicit funds flow to the top and then cuts are
distributed downstream
• The Economy identifies “sources” from whom funds are liberated
• In case of Retail Corruption, the sources are the public seeking govt
documents such as Patta or Ration Card
• In case of Regulatory Corruption, schools, colleges, hospitals, real
estate are approved explicitly to “attract” consumers and thus
liberate funds.

7. Root Causes of Corruption
• Non-transparency in Political Campaign Finance
• Failure of Civil Judiciary to administer timely justice to
enforce contracts

8. All Attempts to Control Are Failing
• The DVAC in Tamil Nadu has obtained convictions only an
average of 30 officials per year.
• DVAC is under-staffed and under-funded
• RTI Act is being gutted slowly in implementation in Tamil
Nadu
• No Lokayukta (Anti-corruption ombudsman)
• No Right to Services Act

9. How should an Anti-Corruption NGO
function?
• Methods for Arappor Iyakkam

10. Fight All Aspects
• Fight Retail and Regulatory Corruption with campaigns
• Fight Big-Ticket Corruption with long-term teams

11. Choices for An Anti-Corruption NGO
Legislative Fight for Lokayukta and Right to Services
Target Govt Officials who are more vulnerable than Ministers
Harness Communities rather than individual grievances

12. Public is Desensitised to Corruption
• Therefore, harness pools of public who are affected – such as
the commuters who pay bribes to Traffic Police
• Victims of Regulatory Corruption, such as students, patients
or industrial workers are ideal communities to harness

13. Increase Networking with Technology
• Use technology (such as mobile apps) to increase stings and
allow public to mobilise activists to their support when
facing corruption
• Distribute pen cameras among activists
• Encourage whistle blowing with secure technology
• Goal is to incentivize public and volunteers to become
activists

14. Run Frequent Public Campaigns
• Challenge Public to expose corruption during brief day-long
campaigns

15. Strategy for Big-Ticket Corruption
• Since Corruption is endemic and networked, focusing on two high-
profile departments such as CMDA and RTO can lead to enough
reduction in other departments
• Since Corruption is endemic and networked, focusing on ONE angle
(such as public interface or tenders) is enough within a department to
reduction in other departments
• Therefore choose two important departments and two internal
functions to expose

16. Big-Ticket Corruption needs experts
• Big-Ticket Corruption, focused on CMDA or TNEB needs dedicated
teams to work over an year to collect material and trap officials
• Expert teams with whistleblowers, retired officials, and auditors
needs to work focused on individual departments

17. Metrics to Focus on
• Increase the number of DVAC complaints, which is the only existing
mechanism
• Number of activists should increase quickly over time, since it is the
only sure way to protect from retaliation. Therefore, harnessing
communities is important
• Increase transparency using PILs. PILs cannot be used to punish the
corrupt, but can be used to increase transparency

18. Jai Hind!