Kerala: VACB raids PSC coaching centres over irregularities

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) carried out raids in two private ‘PSC (Public Service Commission) coaching centres’ in the state capital on Sunday.
An inquiry was ordered into complaints against a couple of government Secretariat employees for their suspected ownership of the centres and possible influence they might have in the Kerala PSC to leak question papers, including those of the Kerala Administrative Services (KAS) preliminary exams, which was held on Saturday.
Though VACB’s special unit 2 team led by DSP Prasad could not catch any Secretariat employee red-handed during the raids, a fire and rescue department personnel was found giving lectures in one of the centres. The vigilance team, in the coming days, would be conducting a comprehensive inquiry against these government employees and will keep the coaching centres and other branches across the state on its radar, the officials said.
The vigilance inquiry against two Secretariat employees was ordered by general administration department (GAD) principal secretary K R Jyothilal following a request received from the PSC secretary. The PSC’s request for the vigilance probe against the duo employed in the GAD came after a group of candidates lodged a complaint in this regard raising the allegations. The vigilance team carried out the raids at two PSC coaching centres in Thampanoor - Lakshya and Veto – and the fire force personnel was caught from Veto. The VACB will recommend for necessary action against him, a VACB official said.
As per the preliminary evidence collected, one of the centres is owned by a secretariat employee while the other by a close relative of another employee. “There is no clear evidence to show that government employees are giving lectures at these centres, as they are keeping vouchers without names, but with just signatures,” the official said. The VACB, in the coming days, will also examine the assets of the employees against whom the allegations have been raised.
Meanwhile, PSC chairman M K Sakeer told reporters that the Commision will conduct their own inquiry into the functioning of these private ‘PSC coaching centres’ and into the allegations of involvement of government employees. “The PSC stands with candidates and will initiate action against coaching centres which are under the cloud. There will be more investigations in accordance with the complaints we receive,” he said, adding that government officials are not allowed to take coaching classes while in service.