More officials taking bribes; increase in vigilance cases also; payment for corruption via Google Pay and bank deposits

Tuesday 04 February 2025 9:28 PM IST

THRISSUR: The number of government officials caught by the vigilance for taking bribes is increasing. 1259 cases were filed in the courts in this regard last year.

Vigilance arrested a total of 44 people last year, including 39 officials, two central government employees and three agents. Most of them were arrested from the revenue department. 20 officials from the revenue department and 10 officials from the local government department were arrested. Extensive checks were conducted in the name of 'Operation Sutharyatha' to reduce corruption in village offices, but no results were found.

Previously, bribes were in the range of five hundred and a thousand rupees, but now there are people who take bribes in the range of lakhs. Those who took bribes through Google Pay and bank deposits have been caught by vigilance.

Court Trials

(Year and Cases)

2018 - 907

2019 - 918

2020 - 921

2021 - 1030

2022 - 1405

2023 - 1104

2024 - 1259

Convicted in Bribery Cases

2018 - 61

2019 - 56

2020 - 23

2021 - 20

2022 - 75

2023 - 54

2024 - 94

"Even though the Left government is in power, the truth cannot be hidden. The file submitted for permission from Thiruvananthapuram regarding the installation of LED in Thrissur Corporation was signed and received only after three years. That too after I personally intervened several times. The delay in clearing files and taking bribes by officials has not decreased yet."

-M.K. Varghese,

Mayor, Thrissur Corporation