Days after Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu highlighted what he described as systemic corruption in the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) under the previous DMK regime and praised the Tamil Nadu government led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay for simplifying approval processes for educators and school owners, another individual has now come forward with a detailed first-hand account, stating he was forced to pay ₹65 lakh in bribes to secure approvals for a school’s building plans.
In a lengthy social media post, the individual named Venkat G, an individual involved in handling DTCP approvals for a school, who identified himself as one of the victims of the alleged system, described what he claimed was an entrenched network involving middlemen, district offices and the DTCP headquarters in Chennai. He also expressed support for the anti-corruption drive initiated by the Tamil Nadu government under Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.
“I, one of the victims, have a sole responsibility to support this by coming out with the details. I really hope he is successful in this mission,” he wrote.
“Bribing Itself Is Not Easy”
Describing the ordeal, the individual said the suffering involved in paying bribes is often overlooked by those unfamiliar with the system.
“Bribing itself is not easy. It’s too painful. One has to go through this suffering to understand this,” he wrote before narrating his experience with the DTCP approval process.
According to him, many schools allegedly continue to operate without complete DTCP approval or compliance because remaining non-compliant creates opportunities for continuous extraction of money by officials.
“The more they are not compliant, the more money can be extracted on a continuous basis. There is no incentive for schools to become fully compliant,” he alleged.
He said his school had decided to become fully compliant with all statutory requirements and entrusted him with overseeing the DTCP approval process.
Interviewed Four Middlemen Before Paying ₹65 Lakh
The individual stated that he spent nearly six months evaluating four different agents before selecting one to handle the approvals.
According to him, different agents quoted amounts ranging from ₹80 to ₹110 per square foot, depending on the size of the project and their influence within the system.
He said choosing an agent was not merely about price.
“We needed to evaluate the agent’s reach to power and experience in handling previous school approvals,” he wrote.
Ultimately, he stated that his institution agreed to pay ₹65 lakh.
Alleged Role Of Chennai Headquarters
Explaining the approval process, the individual stated that although building approvals are eventually issued by local rural or town planning authorities, applications first move through district offices.
He stated that applications involving larger built-up areas are subsequently forwarded to the DTCP headquarters in Chennai for what is officially termed “technical concurrence.”
According to him, this stage was allegedly where the major payments were collected.
Questioning the process, he wrote that he remained puzzled as to why technical verification could not be carried out at the district level instead of requiring clearance from Chennai.
“Paid Full Amount, Yet File Didn’t Move”
The individual alleged that despite paying the entire ₹65 lakh through the chosen intermediary, the application remained pending in Chennai for several months.
Unable to rely solely on the middleman because of the financial stakes involved, he said he travelled personally to Chennai after repeatedly receiving no updates.
He stated that he stayed in a hotel for several days before finally securing an appointment with the senior official handling the approvals.
“Only One Question Was Asked”
Recalling the meeting, the individual alleged that he was granted barely two minutes with the official.
He stated that he pleaded about the financial condition of the school and requested movement of the application.
According to him, the official asked only one question.
“Was formality of #name# completed?”
The individual said that after replying in the affirmative, he was immediately asked to leave.
He alleged that the interaction convinced him that officials were tracking whether payments had been made before processing files.
“This is how blatant the corruption network was. Officers behaved like gods as their political managers sought help from them to trace if money was properly paid for each application,” he alleged.
Cash Allegedly Transported To Chennai Through Agent Network
The individual further alleged that applicants could avoid physically carrying large amounts of cash by using an established network of local agents.
According to him, the money itself could be transported to Chennai through intermediaries for a commission of around 3%, thereby reducing the risks associated with carrying cash.
Says He Lost Faith In Voting
The individual described the experience as emotionally exhausting, saying he had lost sleep over the prolonged delay in obtaining approvals.
He said the experience left him so disillusioned that he chose not to vote in the subsequent election.
However, he added that he was surprised by what he described as a “silent revolution” by Tamil Nadu voters in the 2026 Assembly elections.
He further expressed optimism about the current government’s anti-corruption efforts, stating that if the approval process were decentralised and more powers were delegated to district-level authorities, opportunities for large-scale bribery could be significantly reduced.
He concluded by urging Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay not to abandon what he described as the mission of building a corruption-free Tamil Nadu.
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