Attaching the property of an IAS officer for amassing wealth disproportionate to the source of his income is the first such incident in Kerala. The Enforcement Directorate recently attached retired Principal Secretary T O Sooraj’s properties worth Rs 8.80 crore. It was just incidentally T O Sooraj became the first person to be punished in Disproportionate Assets case.

Though the number of officers who gather wealth (mis)using their official power and position and go scot-free is less in Kerala, it is not a state without such persons.

Sooraj might also have followed their lucrative path and ended up as a tainted civil servant. But this is a shame for a majority of corrupt-free officers and disturbing, warning incident for a few corrupt officers.

Sooraj was Public Works department secretary for a long time and this might have been the time when he made hay. The period was from 2004 to 2014. In Public Works department, it is the contractors who pay bribe to get small-scale to big-scale contracts.

They don’t give bribe from their pocket but a part of the contract amount will go into the officer’s pocket. The contractor should set apart the first share for political and bureaucratic characters and next, he should set apart his own profit and what is left is put into the road works. Thus road develops potholes in the ‘first rain’. They are doing this crime despite the fact that they are also the users of that very road.

In this context, it would be unfair if we don’t mention the state of affairs ever since G Sudhakaran took over as Public Works minister. There was a big changes. Corrupt officials have flinched from corruption, fearing that they will be nabbed if the minister comes to know about their corrupt dealings.

It is the support and shelter that Sooraj got in his department that landed him in the net of Enforcement Directorate. The instances of corruption were pointed out one by one against Sooraj after Vigilance filed a case in accordance with a court order. He had bought prime properties, posh houses and other assets in different parts of the State.

The finding was that the value of wealth he amassed was three times he value his original income. Sooraj who had been under suspension for a long time following Vigilance cases, reached the post of principal secretary and retired before long.

Really, what should be opposed more is this practice of getting elevated to top positions. This passes on the message to other corrupt officers that nothing will happen to them if they can influence higher-ups. The administrators should at least try to stall the promotion of those who get caught in corruption cases.

Despite the arrangements in India to prevent the corruption of officers at all levels, in the case of high officers especially IAS officers, this is not effectively done.
The enthusiasm shown by Vigilance officers to arrest a corrupt village officer is not shown in the case of corrupt top officers. The corruption can be controlled if there is a strong awareness and fear that wrongdoings will be caught and punished. For that a political leadership with a strong will power is essential.

Now, pockets are being formed in society which keep their eyes and ears open to point out corruption. The hope is that corruption control measures will gain strength when these pockets also gain strength.