Bribery- an incurrable disease
Across the world, the first promise made by every political party that comes to power is “clean governance.” Though this means a corruption-free government, bribery and corruption have sadly become part of the basic working culture of the executive machinery that drives administration. There is much truth in the view that corruption has its roots in the decline of values in politics. Many officials who are supposed to give public service without taking bribes often act corruptly without fear because they feel protected by political power. The illegal gains from corruption are shared at political and official levels, making both groups partners in the wrongdoing. Since these two groups control the social life of ordinary people, governance often feels like a stage for corruption to the public.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has repeatedly stated in the Assembly and in public forums that corrupt officials will not be protected. However, figures released by the State Vigilance Department show that official corruption has spread like a serious disease across government service sectors, with no effective cure so far. No one doubts the LDF government’s stand against corruption. Vigilance raids, investigations, and arrests in government departments and institutions under them clearly reflect the government’s commitment to clean governance. Yet, in 2025 alone, the Vigilance Department registered 201 cases related to corruption and bribery across various government departments. In 57 of these cases, 76 people, including officials and agents, were arrested in just one year. Vigilance itself says this is a record in annual figures.
An analysis of the nature of cases registered in 2025 reveals another worrying fact. Along with the increase in corruption, the amount of bribe money involved has also risen sharply. Earlier, bribes were mostly limited to thousands of rupees, but now they have grown into lakhs. In three registered cases, the bribe amount was two lakh rupees. There were also cases involving bribes of one lakh and one and a half lakh rupees. Vigilance seized a total of Rs 14.92 lakh in bribe money in the last year. During surprise inspections, bribe money was recovered from the pockets and office drawers of on-duty officials. This exposes the frightening scale of corruption and bribery, with no fear of the public or the law.
The Motor Vehicles Department, which once topped the list for bribery for many years, managed to shed that image after driving licence and vehicle-related procedures were moved completely online, eliminating middlemen. Currently, the Revenue Department ranks first, with 20 officials arrested last year in bribery-related cases. Although many revenue services are now online, corruption mainly thrives in permissions and approvals related to land, construction, and similar matters. Simplifying approval procedures, making inspections transparent, and ensuring that officials caught taking bribes lose their jobs are key ways to control this corruption, at least to some extent. For the government’s goal of “transparent governance and clean administration” to be achieved, the Vigilance Department must continue its actions without fear.