Administrative scandal: Vigilance raid exposes unauthorised worker managing government office

MULANTHURUTHY: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) is scrutinising files managed by a former temporary employee who allegedly operated the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) Assistant Engineer’s office in Mulanthuruthy for months following the expiration of her contract. The unauthorized tenure of the employee, identified as Jofiya Joseph, a native of Kadanad in Kottayam, was exposed during a surprise inspection by the anti-corruption agency.

Jofiya had initially been appointed as a project volunteer under the Jal Jeevan Mission via employment exchange, with a stipulated contract period of 179 days. However, her presence in the office persisted well beyond this term, raising serious questions about administrative oversight.

During her unauthorised tenure, the employee was reportedly active in managing daily administrative tasks, including the reporting of water pipeline bursts, providing recommendations for maintenance contracts, processing bills, and operating online management systems. Investigators are now examining whether she facilitated irregular maintenance contracts and if financial malfeasance occurred during this period.

The Water Resources Department has launched an internal probe into the circumstances of her continued employment and potential lapses by senior officials. While her contract officially ended in December, she initially continued to work for one additional month with the knowledge of higher-ups to address the absence of an Assistant Engineer. However, her continued presence for several months thereafter without any valid appointment order remains unexplained.

Although the VACB conducted a detailed investigation into the operations at the office, officials noted legal constraints in taking direct disciplinary action against her, as she was not an official employee at the time of the inspection. The investigation into the files and the administrative lapses is ongoing.