Vigilance finds corruption in allocation of CM’s relief fund in Kerala

Simultaneous searches held by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) across Kerala on Wednesday, February 22, found large scale syphoning off of funds from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). The searches found that some officials at district collectorates across the state accepted fraudulent applications through agents to release money from the CMDRF. The agents are reported to have fabricated medical and income certificates to facilitate granting of the relief fund to ineligible applicants. Details of government doctors who have been colluding with such agents were also found in the VACB search. The highest number of cases were found in Kollam district.

The Chief Minister reacted to the VACB findings on Thursday and said that such practices will not be allowed and that strict action will be taken against those found guilty. “Instructions have been given for further action on the irregularities that have surfaced in the Vigilance searches.  The Vigilance was asked to investigate the issue after ineligible persons benefiting from the CMDRF came to my notice,” he said. Additional Director General of Police and VACB Chief Manoj Abraham said that the role of government officials will be probed. 

CMDRF is meant as an “emergency assistance release mechanism granting immediate relief to families and individuals distressed by calamity, loss of life due to accidents and chronic diseases.” However, the VACB inspections reveal that large amounts of money have been transferred to undeserving persons. Once the amount is credited to the applicant’s account, a commission would immediately go to the agent. 

Several of the applications that were inspected, contained the phone number and details of the agent, and not the applicant. Even genuine applicants were found to have applied through agents. In Thriuvananthapuram’s Anjuthengu, 16 applications submitted with the phone number of one agent had been granted money from the CMDRF.

According to reports, the VACB searches found that fake medical certificates were issued to multiple members of the same family by a single doctor. A doctor in Kollam’s Punalur issued around 1500 certificates. Non-resident Indians are also reported to have benefitted from the scam.