KOCHI: The highest number of government officials facing probe in corruption cases belongs to the local self-government department in the district, according to the data available with the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) since 2021.In the last four months alone, as many as four officials of Kochi corporation were arrested by the VACB for accepting bribes.
As per VACB data, as many as 44 vigilance cases have been registered against government servants in Ernakulam district since 2021. Similarly, in eight cases officials were caught red-handed while accepting bribes. As many as 11 corruption cases were registered against officials of LSG institutions.
This is followed by the cooperative department with five cases, and forest and police departments with four cases each. VACB registered three cases each against officials of Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and revenue department. Two cases each were registered against officials of the civil supplies, excise, PWD, and mining and geology department.
Four cases were registered against officials of LSG bodies after they were caught red-handed. One trap case each was registered against officers of PWD, KWA, revenue and central labour department.
“In the last two months alone, we arrested four officials of Kochi corporation for taking bribes. All the officers were from the health wing. There are several business firms functioning in Kochi. As part of renewing licence, these firms have to obtain clearance from health inspectors. In one case, three health officials of Kochi corporation were arrested in a trap case after they demanded Rs 50,000 as bribe from a businessman who is running an accessory shop in West Kochi,” a VACB officer said.
Since November 2024, VACB registered six trap cases in Ernakulam and arrested nine officers. The arrested officers belong to Kochi corporation, the central labour department, the agriculture department, KWA and the police.
“A positive change is that more people are approaching us with complaints when government servants demand bribes from them. However, there is still a long way to go. We can nail officials who demand and accept bribes if people give us proper information. Even now, several people without hesitation give bribes to get various services from government offices,” he said.
Across Kerala, 393 cases were registered by VACB against government officials since 2021. Similarly, 146 trap cases were registered during the same time period. The highest number of vigilance cases was registered in Thiruvananthapuram district (72) followed by Kozhikode (56), Ernakulam (44) and Thrissur (36).
However, VACB does not encourage anonymous complaints as a majority of them turn out to be bogus during further inquiry. As per recent data, 81% of anonymous complaints received by VACB officers turned out to be bogus in Ernakulam district since 2016.
As many as 673 anonymous complaints were received by VACB units in Ernakulam via mail and online since 2016. However, only 132 anonymous complaints were found worth proceeding with the investigation and the rest were found to be fake.
“Most of the anonymous complaints are filed out of personal grudge against government officials. In some cases, complaints are filed against honest officials who take action against illegal activities. Some file anonymous complaints due to family feuds,” an officer said.