Crores spent, few cases tried: Vigilance tribunals face scrutiny

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala's two Vigilance Tribunals are handling only a handful of cases even as the government spends crores of rupees on their functioning. Together, the tribunals in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode completed the trial of only 10 cases during the 2025-26 financial year, while their functioning cost the government nearly Rs 3 crore.

The tribunals are responsible for deciding disciplinary action against gazetted officers accused of corruption and submitting their decisions to the government. They cannot initiate cases on their own or act on complaints from the public; cases have to be referred to them by the government.

At the Thiruvananthapuram tribunal, proceedings in five cases were completed during 2025-26 and reports were submitted to the government. Eleven new cases were registered during the year, while 24 cases were already pending. Two cases were referred to the tribunal from Kozhikode, while proceedings in another case had to be discontinued after the government cancelled the investigation.

The government spent Rs 1.33 crore on the functioning of the Thiruvananthapuram tribunal during the year, while its revenue through court-fee stamps was only Rs 6,489. The Kozhikode tribunal has a similar record. The expenditure on the tribunals has drawn the attention of the Kerala High Court, which expressed concern over the crores being spent on them and suggested that the government consider whether they should be discontinued. Justice K. Babu also ordered a performance audit.

The court observed that more than one crore rupees is spent every year on salaries alone, while another one crore-plus is spent on other operational expenses. Tribunal sources attribute the declining number of cases reaching the tribunals to departments conducting inquiries and taking action at their own level instead of referring cases to the tribunals.

Lawyers appointed to tribunals

Lawyers eligible for appointment as district judges, including those with at least 10 years of legal practice, can be appointed to the Vigilance Tribunals. N. Vasu, an accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case, had previously served as a tribunal member.

A panel of candidates is prepared through a written examination and an interview conducted under the supervision of the Home and Law Secretaries. The Home Department makes appointments from the panel. Tribunal members are paid up to Rs 2.25 lakh and are entitled to the benefits available to district judges. They can remain in office until the age of 62, while the Vigilance Department pays the salaries of 20 employees attached to the tribunals.

Munnar Tribunal cost Rs 13.45 crore, settled 42 cases

The Munnar Tribunal was established in 2011 to deal with encroachments and resolve land disputes. It was dissolved in 2018 after incurring an expenditure of Rs 13.45 crore. The tribunal had settled only 42 cases before it was dissolved, after which the cases were transferred to civil courts.

1,564 officers arrested in five years

As many as 1,564 officers were arrested over the past five years. A total of 734 cases were registered against them.