High Court directs Chief Secretary to constitute high-level committee to undertake comprehensive review of the functioning of DVAC
Taking a serious view of the recurring institutional deficiencies at the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court
Taking a serious view of the recurring institutional deficiencies at the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday (July 31, 2026) directed the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary to constitute, within four weeks, a high-level committee to undertake a comprehensive review of the agency’s functioning. Justice B. Pugalendhi directed the committee, to be headed by the Chief Secretary himself, to undertake a comprehensive review of the DVAC’s functioning, especially with reference to aspects such as leadership and institutional governance, strengthening of institutional capacity, investigation, and preventive vigilance, administrative reforms, and technology and public interface. Government’s commitment “We must have the courage to accept the deep-rooted corruption in the system that needs to be addressed imminently. The present government has consistently expressed its resolve to eradicate corruption and promote transparent and accountable governance.
The court has also noticed that the recent policy initiatives reflect that commitment at the highest levels of administration,” the court said. However, such commitment could achieve its objective only when it effectively spread through every level of governance. The ordinary citizen judged the success of a governmental policy not by official declarations, but by the fairness, transparency, and integrity experienced in everyday interactions with public authorities. “It is at that level that the DVAC assumes immense significance,” the court said. The judge said corruption had taken root over several decades. It could not be eradicated either by enacting laws or by occasional enforcement measures alone. Equally, it could not be expected that an institution entrusted with combating corruption could achieve optimum results unless it was provided with adequate leadership, sufficient manpower, efficient administrative support, and functional autonomy.
Sustained political commitment must, therefore, be matched by sustained institutional strengthening. The court said it was conscious that implementation of some of the suggestions might require additional financial allocation from the government. However, such expenditure should not be viewed as a burden upon the exchequer, but as an investment in strengthening the institutional framework for combating corruption. ‘Spend a little to save a lot’ The principle, ‘Spend a little to save a lot’, aptly applied in this context. A comparatively modest investment in improving the vigilance machinery would go a long way in safeguarding the proper implementation of government projects and welfare schemes involving public expenditure many times over. The financial commitment required for strengthening the vigilance administration was insignificant compared with the enormous public funds that stood protected by an effective anti-corruption mechanism, the court said.
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