Vigilance exposes irregularities in Kerala sports councils
Officials of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau on Wednesday conducted a surprise search at the office of the Kerala State Sports Council over allegations of corruption in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) during a nationwide surprise inspection codenamed “Operation Kalikkalam” has uncovered widespread financial irregularities, suspected corruption and administrative lapses in the Kerala State Sports Board and District Sports Boards in the state.
The inspection revealed irregularities ranging from diverting procurement funds without following tender procedures to selecting ineligible athletes for state championships and accepting payments from suppliers through digital payment platforms.
The major findings included misuse of ₹1.30 crore of security deposits collected by the Kozhikode District Sports Council, irregularities in purchases worth over ₹14,000 in Alappuzha, missing sports equipment and five laptops at the State Sports Council headquarters and instances of officials receiving payments from athletes and suppliers through UPI transactions.
The inspection was conducted as part of Project Zero, an initiative launched by the VACB to detect and prevent corruption in government institutions through proactive vigilance measures.
Non-use of funds
According to the VACB, preliminary inspections have revealed that most of the district sports councils have not fully utilized the funds received under the central Panchayat Yuva Krida Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA) scheme within the stipulated time. The State Sports Council was also found to have failed in its oversight duties.
The inspection found that athletes who did not qualify for the district championships were selected to participate in the state championships. Sports equipment purchased from funds received by the council remained undistributed and unused in warehouses. In many districts, officials were allegedly collecting registration fees from sportspersons through UPI transactions without issuing proper receipts.
Rental of stadiums
The VACB also found that indoor stadiums under the control of district sports boards were being leased without uniform criteria, with different amounts being collected from different individuals. The official was allegedly found to have received payments through UPI from contractors awarded contracts by the State Sports Council.
The operation also revealed the appointment of a consultant without the required government approval and the unauthorized payment of various allowances to the former president of the State Sports Council.
In addition, it was also found that a government official served as the president of the district sports council between 2019 and 2021 without the necessary government order or approval. The official received travel and other allowances during his tenure.
Undivided equipment
In another case, a technical officer, who was among the board’s permanent coaches, received a house rent allowance along with salary between July 2022 and May 2026, though the officer regularly occupied a room at the PT Usha Coaching Center near the sports board office in Thiruvananthapuram.
A significant amount of sports equipment and other materials received from the National Games Academy, which remained recorded as undistributed stock, could not be accommodated either in the office or in its warehouse. Officials were unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for their absence, official sources said.
Published – 24 Sep 2026 21:08 IST