The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has initiated a benefit-tracking audit with active involvement of the public in Attappady in Palakkad as part of efforts to ensure corruption-free implementation of various welfare and developmental packages for tribal families.
As a first step in the initiative monitored directly by VACB director Jacob Thomas, Vigilance officials have begun distributing pamphlets calling upon the people to inform the bureau about instances of corruption and malpractices in the implementation of government schemes.
The pamphlets carry contact details of key VACB officials involved in the benefit-tracking audit.
VACB Circle Inspector V. Krishnankutty will lead the audit at the grassroots level.
“It is a major attempt to bring about transparency and probity in the implementation of tribal welfare schemes in Attappady. VACB SP T. Narayanan and Dy.SP M. Shafeeq are leading the mission,” said Mr. Krishnankutty, when contacted by The Hindu .
The move is to ensure VACB scrutiny of all multi-crore special packages and projects implemented to bring down incidence of malnutrition and infant-mortality in the last 10 years among tribespeople in Attappady.
A week after he took charge, VACB director Jacob Thomas conducted a fact-finding mission in the three grama panchayats constituting the Attappady block in which corruption and mismanagement had failed many tribal welfare schemes and mooted the audit idea.
All projects and schemes announced by the Union and State governments in the last one decade will be brought under scanner. Separate reports will be prepared on the results of each Central and State scheme implemented during the period in Attappady.
Ongoing projects also will be brought under scrutiny to ensure corruption-free implementation. The VACB has short-listed 28 different welfare schemes implemented in 192 tribal settlements for detailed examination and subsequent action.
