Vigilance probe exposes financial irregularities in road project

The State government has initiated a formal departmental inquiry following the detection of major financial irregularities in the road construction project to Kerala Ceramics in Kundara. The Public Works Department (PWD) has issued an official order appointing an inquiry officer to probe allegations of misconduct and financial loss involving several departmental officials.

The action stems from a surprise inspection conducted by the Kollam unit of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau. The vigilance probe exposed a glaring discrepancy between the project measurements recorded in the departmental M-Book and the actual quantities found during a joint site inspection. This coupled with an unauthorized excess payment of ₹7,30,379/- for an incomplete project, resulted in substantial financial losses for the State exchequer while yielding illicit profits for the contractor.

The vigilance report explicitly recommends stringent disciplinary action against the errant officials for abandoning the project midway and failing to ensure its timely completion. The administrative department noted that absolutely no progress was made on the project during the tenure of the accused officials, who failed to take critical contractual actions despite the project timeline expiring. Taking a serious view of the lapses, the government has decided to proceed with a comprehensive formal inquiry as part of severe disciplinary proceedings.

Hyjin Albert, the Chief Engineer of the PWD Bridges Division, has been appointed as the Inquiry Officer. She has been directed to thoroughly scrutinize all relevant records, evidence, and witness testimonies, and submit a detailed investigation report to the government within one month.