Internal vigilance unearths big violations in building sector; five employees suspended

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Internal vigilance's lightning inspection found big violations in the building construction department. The norms were easily violated by issuing numbers and occupancy certificates to buildings. Five employees including the assistant executive engineer were suspended by the authorities. It was the first inspection conducted by the internal vigilance department in local self-government departments.

The inspection was conducted across just 46 local self-government institutions but the findings are shocking nevertheless. Minister M B Rajesh confirmed more such inspections in the coming days across various departments. The vigilance mostly inspected the applications from people, the attendance list of employees, and the time taken for the completion of projects.

Assistant executive engineer Jose H John, overseers P V Jinsy and C E Priya were suspended from service. All are employees of the Nemom zonal office which comes under the Thiruvananthapuram corporation.

In Nemom office, the occupancy certificate was provided by the assistant executive engineer without the knowledge of the assistant engineer. The anomalies in reports were covered by the overseer officers as the occupancy certificate was issued. Meanwhile, vigilance also found about employees reaching the office in inebriated conditions. Minister Rajesh has ordered routine inspections of this kind to bring down the laconic attitude shown towards work by employees. The internal vigilance officers involved in this inspection have the know-how of the building construction department and the procedures related to it.