Tamil Nadu Finance Minister N. Marie Wilson alleged Monday that the previous DMK government accepted bribes to approve private educational institutions [1, 2].
The accusations target the integrity of the state's educational licensing process and signal a deepening conflict between the current administration and the former ruling party.
Speaking during a budget speech in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in Chennai, Wilson said she was a direct witness to the corruption [1, 3]. She challenged authorities to investigate the approval process for private schools, stating, "I am a direct witness to the bribery that took place in the approval process for private schools" [1].
Former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi rejected the allegations. Poyyamozhi said the claims are baseless and politically motivated [2].
Beyond the school approvals, the Finance Minister highlighted other instances of alleged financial irregularity. Wilson said tenders in the Chennai Corporation worth nearly Rs 23,000 crore [4] were cancelled due to lobbying and overestimation.
The assembly session also saw personal friction between Wilson and other officials. Reports indicate the budget speech triggered a showdown involving grammar and language style jibes between Wilson and Chief Minister Vijay [3, 5].
Wilson continues to draw a clear distinction between the current TVK administration and the previous DMK government as she pushes for greater transparency in state spending [4].
“"I am a direct witness to the bribery that took place in the approval process for private schools."”
The allegations by Finance Minister Wilson represent a strategic effort by the current administration to frame the previous DMK government as corrupt, specifically within the education sector. By citing specific figures regarding cancelled tenders and claiming personal witness to bribery, the government is attempting to justify a systemic overhaul of administrative approvals and public procurement processes in Tamil Nadu.
