The Joseph Vijay TVK government has introduced a dedicated WhatsApp helpline to enable the public to report government employees allegedly demanding bribes, as part of its latest anti-corruption measures, as reported in Times of India.
According to an official circular issued on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, by Chief Secretary M. Sai Kumar, members of the public can now send complaints through WhatsApp to 9498180936. The circular directed all heads of government departments and district collectors to prominently display anti-bribery notice boards in government offices and public places across the state.
The government also instructed that the WhatsApp number be displayed on the official websites of all departments, along with a link to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) portal to facilitate the filing of complaints.
Officials said that although previous governments had issued orders directing departments to display anti-bribery notice boards, compliance had been inconsistent. According to an official, the government had found that many offices had failed to display the boards prominently despite earlier instructions.
To address this, the latest circular instructed department heads to strictly ensure that notice boards carrying the message “Taking and giving bribe are offences” are displayed prominently in every government office.
The circular also included a model notice board featuring the anti-bribery slogan along with detailed instructions, in both Tamil and English, explaining the procedure for filing complaints with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption.
Apart from the newly launched WhatsApp facility, the government said complaints could also be submitted to the DVAC through multiple channels. Citizens can send complaints via email to dvac@nic.in or contact the vigilance agency through the telephone numbers 044-22321090, 044-22321085, 044-22310989, and 044-22342142.
The government further stated that physical complaints could be submitted in person or sent by post to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, located at No. 293, MKN Road, Alandur, Chennai – 600016.
A senior government official reportedly told The Times of India that Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay had expressed concern over continuing reports of corruption involving certain government officials.
The official was quoted as saying that the Chief Minister was distressed by reports suggesting that some officials had not changed their old practices despite the change in government. The official added that the newly introduced measures marked the first step in the government’s efforts to curb corruption and warned that officials found indulging in corrupt practices would face action.
The circular also directed inspection wings and inspection cells functioning under district collectorates to conduct inspections of government offices to verify whether the anti-bribery instructions were being implemented.
Further, all departments were instructed to submit compliance reports to the Human Resources Management Department after ensuring that the notice boards had been displayed across all government offices, boards, corporations, local bodies, and public sector undertakings under their administrative control.
During the recent Assembly session, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay had reiterated that his government would adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption. He had stated that his administration would neither permit the misuse of public funds nor spare those responsible for misappropriating government money in the past.
The Chief Minister had also declared on the floor of the Assembly that he would not touch even a “single paisa” of public money for personal gain and had asserted that those found involved in corruption would face appropriate action.
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