'Big Circuit' of corruption found in 'Operation Short Circuit'

A large network or 'big circuit' of irregularities and corruption involving officials and contractors has been found in the state-wide raids conducted by the Vigilance in the KSEB offices under the name of 'Operation Short Circuit'. If it is normal for ordinary people to get shocked when the KSEB bill comes, this time the shock was caused by the bribery of officials in the electricity department. In many places, the officials themselves are taking over and doing the work of KSEB. There will be a benami contractor only in the records. Vigilance found that KSEB officials in Kattappana were taking over the work using benami contractors. It has also been found that the shopkeeper in front of the KSEB office in Thiruvalla was being used as an agent to collect bribes.

Contracts for 70 electrical sections spanning five years were examined. It was also found that 41 officials in various section offices received Rs 16.50 lakh as bribes through accounts alone. If bribes are taken through accounts, it has to be understood that those who take bribes do not fear anyone and act as if there is no problem even if there is evidence of bribery. Bribe takers have also found their own way to avoid tenders for contract works. To avoid a large tender, the same tender is divided into various jobs for small amounts. It is enough to invite quotations and implement them in such a situation. It has also been found that the same contractor has been given contracts for various works for years in this manner. A group of officials is working behind this.

In the Varkala Electrical Section Office, a sub-engineer received Rs 56,200 and another sub-engineer received Rs 4,000 from a contractor through UPI transactions. In the Parassala Electrical Section Office, a sub-engineer received Rs 38,000 from contractors through UPI. Normally, it is the officials on top who should take action against this corruption that is happening at the bottom. No one is ready to check and correct it because these officials are also getting their share of the bribe. Not only are they not ready to check, but they are also complicit in the irregularities. The accounts of the officials should also be inspected in such raids.

This is an era where anyone can send money from anywhere. Therefore, to find out who the bribe money went to, all the transactions and relationships of the bribe-taking official will have to be examined. Even then, it is difficult to find out the full details of the corruption. Vigilance does not have the strength in the number of officials to conduct such inspections. There is a widespread perception that only corruption and irregularities take place in institutions like the Electricity Board and the Devaswom Board in the name of autonomy. It is the consumers who ultimately have to bear the losses caused by the irregularities committed by KSEB in the form of an electricity rate hike. The government should try to restore the board's lost credibility by appointing non-corrupt officials to top positions in such boards.