Thiruvananthapuram: The State Home Department, headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has not sanctioned the Vigilance Department to proceed in 141 corruption cases involving politicians, higher officials and heads of various public sector units (PSUs).

The State Home Department has kept these important files involving corruption at the higher levels on hold for the past four years, it's learnt.

The LDF government, which took away the judicial powers of the Lokayukta in dealing with the corrupt politicians holding higher constitutional posts, is now making the functioning of the Vigilance & Anti Corruption Bureau ineffective, sources allege.

The Home Department is has kept in abeyance 121 files seeking sanction for Vigilance inquiry, six files requesting permission for preliminary Vigilance inquiry and 15 cases that need sanction to take prosecution steps. 

Corrupt politicians and officials manage to escape the clutches of law by exploiting the provisions in Section 171(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. This section stipulates that any proceedings, including Vigilance inquiry or prosecution, against ministers, MLAs, higher officials and heads of PSUs can be initiated only after getting sanction from the State Government. 

As per the law, the government has to give reply within three months to any file coming from the Vigilance Department seeking permission for inquiry or seeking permission for prosecution in corruption cases. But the LDF Government has not returned any such file to the Vigilance Department for the last four years. 

The law is silent on the steps to be taken in case the government fails to respond to Vigilance's requests even after three months.

Before the 2021 Assembly polls, the LDF tried to initiate prosecution steps against a handful of Opposition MLAs in corruption cases. But the Governor did not give permission. 

According to insiders, now the government is shielding all those who are corrupt irrespective of their political affiliations. 

The election manifesto of the LDF while coming to power in 2016 made a promise to the people that the Vigilance Department would be made an independent probe agency. But even after six years, it remains an empty promise.

Now, the Vigilance Department's powers have been limited to conduct surprise anti-corruption raids at government offices and lay traps on corrupt officials. 

Record number of traps in 2021

A record 30 traps were laid to catch corrupt officials in 2021. This was significantly higher than the 24 set in 2020, 17 in 2019 and 16 in 2018.

Around 34 officials, nine from the Revenue Department, eight from the Local Administration Department and four from the Forest Department, were entrapped in 2021.

Usually, the Vigilance gives a detailed report to the government after conducting raids in each department. 

But most of the time, the government ignores the suggestions given in such reports to curb corrupt practices, it is alleged.