With local government elections in Kerala around the corner, the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) has raised the specter of corruption, alleging that the Kochi Corporation came under the control of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) during the Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) five-year tenure. However, the LDF dismissed the allegation as baseless.
After the arrest of two corporation officials — a superintendent and a financial inspector from the Edappally zonal office — last week, the UDF claimed it was the latest in a series of such incidents. The officials were allegedly caught red-handed when they allegedly accepted bribes of ₹ 5,000 and ₹ 2,000 from a resident of Kaloor who had asked for a change in the ownership of the building.
“In the last five years, 19 officials of the corporation have been arrested, including five in the last three months alone. In fact, the corporation has become the main target of the VACB during the LDF tenure. We will stage a protest,” said MG Aristotle, UDF parliamentary party secretary in the corporation.
In December 2024, the Corporation Board witnessed riotous scenes when ruling councilor PS Viju claimed to be in possession of an audio clip in which a financial inspector from the Vytilla office of the zonal office was heard demanding a bribe of Rs 2 lakh for tax concessions, allegedly on behalf of the then development standing committee chairman PR Ranish and town planning committee chairman J. Official he has since been suspended.
Similarly, Councilor Benedict Fernandes leveled allegations of bribery against a building inspector from the Fort Kochi Corporation Zonal Office. “Though the board passed a resolution to refer both allegations to the VACB, action was initiated only against the officials. The VACB referred the allegations against the standing committee chairman to the director to decide on further action,” Mr Aristoteles said.
Mayor M. Anilkumar said the introduction of K-Smart has greatly reduced opportunities for corruption, with officials now only able to delay applications — an act that is still unacceptable.
“If the application complies with the rules, service cannot be denied for non-payment of a bribe. However, the problem often starts at the stage of the construction plan, where violations occur and bribes are paid to overlook them. Moreover, when officials repeatedly summon applicants under the pretext of missing documents, many choose to pay a bribe to avoid the inconvenience of multiple visits. A change in this mindset is also necessary,” he said.
Sources with the left-wing union, which has a large number of corporation officials as members, have revealed the existence of an unholy nexus between licensed building inspectors and some corporation officials.
“Building inspectors, whose role is limited to ensuring compliance with building codes and submitting completion plans, have effectively become middlemen to ensure plans are approved. They offer bundled services that include bribery for various officials. The growing number of cases and arrests is indicative of heightened vigilance,” said a union official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Published – 22 Oct 2025 15:47 IST
