KOCHI: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) will soon have a training centre of its own in Kochi. Apart from VACB officers, other government department officers and the general public will be trained with an eye on strengthening the drive against corruption. The state government had recently approved the VACB plan to set up a training centre in the state’s commercial hub.
As of now, VACB has no training facility in the state. The government has sanctioned Rs 79.4 lakh for the project. It was given the nod after being approved by the Departmental Working Group which held a meeting in September. SP K Karthick, heading the VACB Central Range, said VACB officers have to be updated about the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act on a regular basis.
“There are crucial judgements on the PC Act from various High Courts and the Supreme Court. Officers have to be kept updated about these judgements. Similarly, they have to be updated about the investigation methods in corruption cases and the modes of detecting such incidents. Since the Kerala High Court is located in Kochi, legal matters are dealt here. So it was decided to start the VACB training centre in Kochi,” he said.
The centre will be constructed on the top floor of the existing VACB office at Pullepady. The Public Works Department will soon be tasked with completing the work.VACB has been providing frequent awareness classes to government officers and the public. In the absence of a dedicated training centre, such classes are often held in schools and colleges.
Once a training centre is started, awareness activities can be further strengthened.“We are giving classes to officers from various government departments to enhance their knowledge about anti-corruption laws,” Karthick said. Last year, VACB and the Ernakulam District Resident’s Association Apex Council (EDRAAC) had together formed the Residents Association Anti-Corruption Movement (RAAM) to nip corruption at the grass root level itself. RAAM has around 300 units across the district.