Vigilance raids in KSEB offices unearth instances of bribe, irregularities

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has found that 41 officials of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) had taken ₹16.50 lakh as bribe from contractors.

The VACB inspections on Friday (January 16, 2025), named ‘Operation Short Circuit,’ revealed instances of KSEB officials including sub-engineers, assistant engineers and linemen accepting bribes from contractors. Most of these transactions were also found to have been carried out through online payment platforms such as Google Pay.

Bribery cases came to light during inspections in KSEB offices across Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Malappuram, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts. The operation scrutinised contract works undertaken in the KSEB over the past five years.

In Chittoor electrical section office in Palakkad district, an assistant engineer was found to have accepted ₹1,27,400, a sub engineer ₹20,000, an overseer ₹12,500 and another overseer ₹16,300 from contractors. These payments were made through Google Pay, according to the VACB.

A sub engineer at the Varkala electrical section office in Thiruvananthapuram district was found to have accepted ₹55,200 as bribe from a contractor. Another sub engineer had accepted ₹4000 as bribe from a different contractor. Both transactions took place through Google Pay, according to the VACB. At the Parassala electrical section, a sub engineer was found to have accepted a total of ₹38,000 as bribe from a contractor in multiple instalments.

In Ernakulam, a scrutiny of handwriting in quotations submitted at the Thripunithura section for multiple works revealed that all of them were submitted by the same individual. The quotations were allegedly being submitted by this individual in different names to secure the contracts with the help of officials, according to the VACB.

In the Kasaragod electrical section office, inspections revealed that works were being divided to smaller parcels to avoid e-tender. All the works were being awarded to the same contractor.

The inspections found that the majority of the KSEB offices are issuing contracts for works without adhering to procedures, the VACB said in a statement. In order to circumvent tendering procedures, contract works are divided into smaller parcels and awarded by inviting quotations. The inspections also found that in some cases, various works were being awarded to the same contractor for years at a stretch. According to the VACB, the majority of the offices were not properly maintaining files related to the works, including scrap registers, log books and work registers.

VACB director Manoj Abraham said follow-up inspections and field verifications will continue in the days ahead. The VACB views these cases very seriously and a detailed probe will be conducted by scrutinising the bank statements of contractors and middlemen, he said.