The Hindu: Chennai: Wednesday, 4Th March 2026.
The main agenda of the manifesto is to get rid of corruption and ensure transparency and as part of this the document demands proactive disclosure of public information under Section 4 of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, including a statewide transparency portal
The Arappor Iyakkam has
released an anti-corruption manifesto for the 2026 Assembly elections to be
held in the State, urging political parties to implement systemic reforms to
curb corruption, ensure transparency in administration, provide accountability
through services, and delegate more power to the local bodies.
Jayaram Venkatesan, convenor of Arappor Iyakkam, launching the anti-corruption manifesto at a press meet held in the Chennai Press Club on Tuesday, urged the political parties to adopt them in their election manifesto for a clean and deliverable administration.
Mr. Jayaram said corruption has been identified as the primary cause for the various social and economic ills afflicting the people and the manifesto proposes a model based on increasing transparency, enhancing accountability, ensuring public participation, and reducing monopoly and discretion in awarding of contracts.
The main agenda of the manifesto is to get rid of corruption and ensure transparency and as part of this the document demands proactive disclosure of public information under Section 4 of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, including a statewide transparency portal. It advocates for end-to-end online filing of RTI applications and appeals, and the appointment of 10 Information Commissioners to ensure effective functioning. The manifesto, citing the Rajasthan Government’s ‘Jan Soochna’ portal of displaying information with respect to Section 4 for all departments, wants transparency in government recruitment and postings through independent boards, online counselling, and strict adherence to tenure policies.
For accountability, a “Right to Services Act” is proposed to ensure timely delivery of services and penalise officials for delays or bribery. Major amendments to the Tamil Nadu Lokayukta Act 2018 are required to make it an independent agency with investigative and prosecution powers. Furthermore, a Whistleblowers Protection Act is requested to safeguard those reporting corruption.
To eliminate corruption in tenders, the manifesto calls for cancelling single-bid tenders and making all tenders above ₹1 lakh fully electronic. It seeks to prohibit and penalize collusive bidding, bid rigging, and conflicts of interest.
Proposals for public participation include empowering area sabhas as elected bodies for local decision-making and implementing social audits for government projects. For this the Urban local bodies Act needs to be amended. Police reforms are also needed to increase independence from political interference, including forming an independent State Security Commission and establishing a Tamil Nadu Anti-Torture Law.
Finally, the document called for curbing the distribution of cash for votes by prohibiting new schemes and cash transfers six months prior to election.
The main agenda of the manifesto is to get rid of corruption and ensure transparency and as part of this the document demands proactive disclosure of public information under Section 4 of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, including a statewide transparency portal
Jayaram Venkatesan, convenor of Arappor Iyakkam, launching the anti-corruption manifesto at a press meet held in the Chennai Press Club on Tuesday, urged the political parties to adopt them in their election manifesto for a clean and deliverable administration.
Mr. Jayaram said corruption has been identified as the primary cause for the various social and economic ills afflicting the people and the manifesto proposes a model based on increasing transparency, enhancing accountability, ensuring public participation, and reducing monopoly and discretion in awarding of contracts.
The main agenda of the manifesto is to get rid of corruption and ensure transparency and as part of this the document demands proactive disclosure of public information under Section 4 of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, including a statewide transparency portal. It advocates for end-to-end online filing of RTI applications and appeals, and the appointment of 10 Information Commissioners to ensure effective functioning. The manifesto, citing the Rajasthan Government’s ‘Jan Soochna’ portal of displaying information with respect to Section 4 for all departments, wants transparency in government recruitment and postings through independent boards, online counselling, and strict adherence to tenure policies.
For accountability, a “Right to Services Act” is proposed to ensure timely delivery of services and penalise officials for delays or bribery. Major amendments to the Tamil Nadu Lokayukta Act 2018 are required to make it an independent agency with investigative and prosecution powers. Furthermore, a Whistleblowers Protection Act is requested to safeguard those reporting corruption.
To eliminate corruption in tenders, the manifesto calls for cancelling single-bid tenders and making all tenders above ₹1 lakh fully electronic. It seeks to prohibit and penalize collusive bidding, bid rigging, and conflicts of interest.
Proposals for public participation include empowering area sabhas as elected bodies for local decision-making and implementing social audits for government projects. For this the Urban local bodies Act needs to be amended. Police reforms are also needed to increase independence from political interference, including forming an independent State Security Commission and establishing a Tamil Nadu Anti-Torture Law.
Finally, the document called for curbing the distribution of cash for votes by prohibiting new schemes and cash transfers six months prior to election.
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