THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In 2022, till now, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has registered 42 cases against government officials, the highest in the last eight years. The officials were caught taking bribe. According to department sources, as many as 14 revenue department officials were nabbed while accepting bribes. The local self-government department came second as 13 of its officials were trapped by the anti-graft body while taking kickbacks. Three officers of the health department and one each from MG University, Kerala Water Authority, education department, Police, Supplyco, KSEB, Minor Irrigation and Legal Metrology were arrested this year.
The number of arrests in trap operations increased from 20 in 2015 to 40 till November 14. Last year, 30 government officials were arrested. Most of the trap operations were launched on the basis of complaints from the public, while in some cases action was taken on the basis of intelligence inputs collected by the anti-graft body. Vigilance Director ADGP Manoj Abraham said the demands raised by the booked government officials varied from Rs 1,000 to Rs 75,000. In one particular case, the officer had demanded a brand new shirt and sexual favour from the applicant, he added.
Most of the complaints were regarding issuing of possession certificate, police clearance certificate, building number, encumbrance certificate, shifting of electric posts, fee for conducting surgery, bill clearance, commission payments and land certificates. Those booked for graft included surgeons, village officers, tahsildar, village assistants, village officers, assistant engineers, university assistants, revenue inspector, health inspectors, assistant sub inspector, sub registrar, surveyor, Supplyco manager, panchayat vice-president and standing committee chairman.
SATURDAY’S ARREST
Two government servants were arrested by the Vigilance on Saturday in trap operations. Santosh Kumar, secretary of Kulathoor panchayat, was arrested while taking D5,000 as bribe, while K Reghu, an LD clerk of Muttil panchayat in Wayanad, was nabbed while accepting D10,000 as bribe. Santosh was arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by a contractor, while Reghu was nabbed on the basis of a complaint of a woman, who had applied for building number.