Vigilance operation unearths massive corruption across revenue offices in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a state-wide inspection Operation Haritha Kavacham, the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau (VACB) found large-scale corruption and irregularities in 59 offices, including 27 Revenue Divisional Offices and 32 Deputy Collector Offices. The inspection revealed serious violations of the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, with wetlands and paddy fields being illegally removed from the state databank for conversion and sale. The Vigilance received information that officials had accepted bribes directly and through agents to facilitate the exclusion of wetlands and paddy lands from the databank. Real estate groups and land mafias operating around Revenue Divisional Offices were reportedly involved in converting these lands for building construction and sale. Some officials allegedly provided favourable reports against the law in return for bribes or under influence. Acting on these inputs, Vigilance Director Manoj Abraham ordered the state-wide inspection. The raids were held across 59 offices to detect corruption in removing and reclassifying land from the databank that should not have been altered under the law. Files of applications submitted since 2023 for land exclusion and reclassification were examined. The inspection revealed that several paddy lands and wetlands were removed or reclassified in violation of the conservation law. In some districts, field verification showed that the converted lands included water channels that had been filled with soil. Vigilance also found that areas classified as wetlands were filled and changed into dry land for construction. As per rules, when the area of land to be reclassified exceeds 20.20 ares, 10% of the land should be reserved for water conservation. The inspection found that many officials granted reclassification without ensuring this mandatory condition. The Vigilance Director said the department treats bribe-taking by officials and illegal land conversion through agencies as extremely serious. Follow-up inspections and field verifications will continue in the coming days. In suspicious cases, satellite images from the Kerala State Remote Sensing and Environment Centre will be used.