'Won't spare those who touched people's money': TN FM's DMK swipe
Tamil Nadu Finance Minister N Marie Wilson on Wednesday said Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay remains steadfast in his resolve to ensure corruption-free transparent regime and various measures were being taken to shore up revenue mobilisation.
In his address in the Assembly on revised budget estimates for 2026-27, the minister detailed the steps being taken to eliminate corruption. He said the chief minister remains steadfast in this resolve.
"We will not touch a single paisa of the people's tax money. We will not allow anyone to touch it. If touched, we will not spare them. And we will not spare those who have touched it in the past," he said.
The CM stands unshakeable in this resolve and seeing him and hearing his name, "we witness corrupt individuals fleeing in fear every day", Wilson said.
Before the TVK assumed office, a significant portion of tender estimates were "cornered" by few individuals and certain political parties, he alleged.
Wilson said: "The chief minister has achieved an unparalleled milestone by resolutely putting a complete end to this practice. He has also changed the earlier procedure of approval at the government's level for planning permission for multi-storied and high-rise apartment buildings."
"These approvals can now be obtained from Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) itself by delegation of powers, thereby eliminating the corruption that prevailed in the earlier process."
The DMK government was in power from May 2021 to May 2026.
While establishing transparency and integrity in tenders and project approvals, the government is now also undertaking various measures for additional revenue mobilisation.
As part of these efforts, the government has recently levied an additional privilege fee on liquor manufacturers. "This is expected to mobilise an additional annual revenue of up to Rs 1,000 crore to the exchequer."
Government is also leveraging Information Technology through initiatives such as "Faceless Assessment" under the Goods and Services Tax (GST), "Faceless Registration" in the Registration Department and end-to-end computerisation in monitoring mining activities.
Such initiatives are together expected to generate additional revenue of approximately Rs 15,000 crore for the government that will enable the implementation of many welfare schemes successfully.
To achieve growth in revenue receipts in tandem with economic growth, to expand revenue streams sustainably and to suggest measures to increase the State's tax and non-tax revenue, the government has recently constituted an expert committee on Revenue Augmentation, headed by former Deputy Chairperson of Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, along with five other members, he said.
Through this committee, government aims to strengthen the State's fiscal autonomy and generate the financial resources necessary to fulfil its socio-economic development commitments.
