DVAC shows 45 per cent jump in cases

The increase in the number of cases registered by DVAC are significant because the agency has to register cases against corrupt government officials after prolonged preliminary inquiry and then a detailed probe into the complaints before registering a case. A good number of complaints may not be converted to regular cases after the preliminary inquiry.

In the last three years, the agency has been showing increased activity. From just 160 cases in 2016, the DVAC steadily increased the number of corruption cases against the government employees during the last year. In 2017, it registered 263 cases and in 2018, the total number of cases was 270.

In 2019, the five units and special units in Chennai registered 72 cases. This year, districts like Salem, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Madurai and Coimbatore registered more than 20 cases each. While Salem, Coimbatore and Madurai registered 22 cases each, DVAC teams at Tiruvannamalai and Vellore registered 21 and 20 cases respectively.

However, the numbers went down to 16 cases in 2019 from 20 in the previous year in the case of Villupuram. In Tiruchy, 14 cases were registered in 2017, which came down to just 4 in 2018 but went up againto 12 in 2019.

The DVAC, which was on a slow track till the end of 2016, picked up speed from 2017 by registering 263 cases across the State. Since then, it has been maintaining the push in the last two years, despite the new amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act clipped its wings by bringing in fresh restrictions on registering cases.