KOCHI: It seems the Palakkayam village field assistant from whom Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) recovered over Rs 1 crore in cash and valuables was just one among the many, as 114 government officials were caught red-handed for accepting bribe since May 2021. The data in this regard was presented in the Assembly in response to a question raised by Tripunithura MLA K Babu recently.
As per the data, officials from as many as 29 state government departments were caught red-handed by VACB. The revenue department tops the chart with the highest number of officials caught red-handed by the state anti-corruption agency during the period. As many as 33 officials of the revenue department were arrested for accepting bribes by the Vigilance after laying a trap. The second in the chart is the local self- government department. Twenty-six officials of the department were arrested for accepting bribe since May 2021. The state which won accolades for achievement in the public health sector has nine officials of the department caught red-handed in corruption cases.
In police and registration departments, there were six cases each. In the motor vehicles department and surveys department, three officers each were caught for taking bribe. Similarly, two officials each in the departments of legal metrology, forest, animal husbandry, civil supplies, and agriculture, and KSEB were caught by the Vigilance.
One person each was caught from the labour department, KWA, MG University, PRD, State Pollution Control Board, departments of education, irrigation, SC development, co-operation, water resources, and sales tax, KSRTC, electrical inspectorate, tourism department, Central tax and Central excise and ST development department. K Babu said the Congress parliamentary party decided to raise the question in the Assembly. “It was to check the number of corruption cases being reported in the state. I have received the figures but could not analyse it,” he said.
This year as many as 37 government officials were caught in the trap laid by the VACB. In the entire 2022, as many as 47 cases were registered compared to 30 cases in 2021. However, a senior officer with VACB said that the department is working hard to raise the conviction rate in cases registered by the agency. Though the conviction rate in vigilance cases was 61.3 per cent in 2020, it dropped to 47.16 per cent in 2021 and 43 per cent in 2022.
“Each year a large number of corruption cases are being reported in the state. However, as per the current trend, more than half of the officials caught go scot-free after being exonerated by courts. So we have decided to work on increasing the annual conviction rate. Accordingly, measures are being taken to submit foolproof chargesheet and rightly present evidence during the trial,” the officer said.
As the revenue department and LSGD are approached by many people seeking various services, a high number of cases are being reported from these departments regularly. “Most bribery incidents are reported for services related to land which mostly comes under Revenue and LSGD. Palakkayam Village Assistant Suresh Kumar’s case is a prime example. However, we also have come across several upright officers who cooperate with us in anti-corruption activities,” he said.