Vigilance to launch 'Kerala Anti-Corruption Index'

In a first of its kind in the country, an Anti Corruption Index will soon be launched in Kerala in tandem with the CPI(M)-led LDF government's policy of 'zero tolerance to corruption'.
Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau is implementing the programme to measure the level of corruption on a monthly basis in the state.
Titled Kerala Anti-corruption Index (KAI), the initiative will have a set of proxy indicators to measure the graphs of corruption in all spheres of society.
The agency will also launch a series of mobile applications with the objective of empowering people under its programme of capacity building to deal with corruption in the every day life.

Explaining the initiative, VACB director and DGP Jacob Thomas said the objective is to evolve a "durable and sustainable" mechanism to check corruption, which is possible only by sensitising and empowering general public.
"We are in the process of implementing a Kerala Anti-Corruption Index. It is group of 20-25 simple, composite indicators or parameters upon which people feel or access corruption that they see, hear or experience in everyday life," Thomas told PTI.

After the initial testing phase, modern social media technology would be used for this monthly measurement, he said.
"The LDF government has already made it clear that zero tolerance to corruption will be its policy."

"The Governor, in his policy address during the first assembly session, has said this government would pursue a proactive policy of zero tolerance to corruption that will be visible and felt," he said.
With the launching of KAI, corruption in every sphere of society, including at various government departments, could be assessed.
"I hope that we will be able to measure the level of corruption in the government level by September-October through this index. It will help us find out whether the corruption level is on the rise or waning each month," he said.
Indicators in KAI include potholes in roads, unattended waste heaps, building on lake side, filling of wetlands and paddy, known corrupt/unethical, unscrupulous persons in key posts, foreign liquor bar or beer parlour near school or religious places, giving orders without tenders and delay in decisions /services from public offices, among others.

As part of the capacity building initiatives, the first
mobile application, 'Arising Kerala', would be launched by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by mid-August, he said.
The application could be downloaded through Google play-store and any person can upload matters, photos, videos and audio in it in connection with corruption around them.
Another App in the pipeline is 'Whistle Now', through which also citizens can expose corruption happening around them in the society, he said.
The testing of 'Arising Kerala' has already started, he said, adding 'Whistle Now' would be ready by September end and another similar application was also being developed.

"Thus, three mobile apps will be launched. These are all part of capacity building of the public and to strengthen anti-corruption drive with participation of people," he said.
The official wanted the mobile apps to be on a "crowd owning and sharing system" and said "we are working on it".
"People have to own it and operate it. The intention is that an anti-corruption drive should happen through this itself. That is my concept," he said.
Asked about the long delay in proceedings of vigilance cases, Thomas said it was one of the "handicaps" faced by the agency.
He also said there should be a system wherein a corrupt public servant should be punished in the service itself.

"That will give a lesson to his colleagues not to indulge in illegal activities."
"Now the situation is that it would take at least three years to complete the trial and prosecution in vigilance courts and when the parties make appeal in the High Court, it would take more years to complete.
"The oldest vigilance appeal case pending in High Court is a 22-year-old one. There are 354 appeal cases pending in the High Court. I have already taken up the matter with the Advocate General to speed up the process," he said.
Thomas said all his initiatives were to implement the policy of the LDF government for a corruption-free Kerala and he was getting full support from the present Pinarayi Vijayan led LDF government.