KOCHI: After exposing the amassment of wealth by two engineers with the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KPCB) through illegal means, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has decided to apprise the state government of the high prevalence of corruption in KPCB, mainly in its district units.
According to senior vigilance officers, the corrupt practices of the two senior KPCB engineers — Harees A M and Josemon J — are just the tip of the iceberg as the KPCB offices across the state are riddled with corruption. “Inputs reveal that KPCB officers are demanding money, ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh from each applicant for license renewal. We are in the process of verifying information received from the ground. The staff of the district KPCB offices harass applicants by delaying the license, and they clear files only after receiving money,” a senior vigilance officer said.
The vigilance team, which raided the residence of senior engineer Josemon in Kollam, found that he had amassed huge wealth while serving as an engineer in Idukki and other district offices. Apart from having deposits running into crores in various banks, he also invested in real estate at different places in the state.
KPCB chairman Pradeep Kumar A B said the vigilance raids have revealed the gravity of the situation and the board will extend all support to the vigilance department to book the culprits.
“The vigilance probe will help us cleanse the board of corruption. We have also decided to strengthen an internal vigilance wing. Though there was a plan to set up a strong internal vigilance team, it didn’t take off as proposed. But the latest incidents have prompted us to look into the issue seriously. We have discussed the matter with the state government and steps necessary will be taken to strengthen the internal vigilance unit,” Pradeep said.