The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) conducted lightning inspections at the higher secondary directorate, deputy directorate, and regional offices in the State on Friday.
Operation Red Tape was conducted following complaints of widespread corruption and irregularities in the section handling teacher/non-teacher appointments in aided higher secondary schools and the section handling the financial aspects of these officials. Lightning inspections were conducted simultaneously at these offices across the State at 11 a.m.
The VACB got a tip-off that the officials were seeking bribes and accepting gifts for teacher appointments in aided higher secondary schools, regularisation of appointments, clearing teachers’ benefits and grants for school managements, and creation of new posts. The files of those who refused to pay would not be cleared and would be set aside. There were also complaints that out of the many applications for various requirements such as provident fund, DA arrears, surrender, fixation, and leave increment arrears, only some were cleared in a time-bound manner. Only if the officials received a bribe would action be taken on the applications; else they would be ignored.
According to the information received, a percentage of the money received as donation by aided managements from job aspirants was received by some officials in the regional deputy directorate to regularise appointments. The officials colluded with the managements to sanction more seats and batches in the schools.
The inspections found that 733 appointments to promotion posts and those where direct appointments were to be made were pending in various offices. Sixty-six files for various benefits were also awaiting decisions. The maximum pending files were in Malappuram—648 related to appointments, 28 related to provident fund.
