DVAC sources said that the municipality has engaged 102 temporary sanitary workers on contract basis.
Officials from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) seized ₹ 79,282 unaccounted cash from the office of Arcot municipality in Ranipet on Wednesday.
DVAC sources said that the municipality has engaged 102 temporary sanitary workers on contract basis mainly for door-to-door garbage collection from households in the town. As per norms, each worker should be paid Rs 489 for their work on a daily basis. However, it has been alleged by sanitary workers that they were paid only Rs 370 for each worker daily by the civic body.
Sanitary workers also complained of non-payment of wages for the past three months by the civic body. Thw workers have complained to DVAC that more money has been deducted from civic officials for Provident Fund and ESI from their wages as against stipulated percentage of wages to it.
Based on complaints by affected workers to the Commissionerate of Municipal Administration, a six-member team led by V. Ganesh, Deputy SP, DVAC (Ranipet) conducted the searches between 8. 30 p.m on Tuesday to 4.30 a.m on Wednesday morning.
DVAC officials also questioned Municipal Commissioner S. Venketalakshman and other senior municipal officials present during the searches in the office. After hours of search, DVAC officials recovered the unaccounted cash from washrooms and storerooms in the municipal building.
As most of the financial transactions are done online, DVAC also seized mobile phones of senior municipal officials for verification of cash transactions. A detailed investigation is underway.
Published – August 07, 2025 12:23 am IST
