Latest news with #KeralaStateAuditDepartment
New Indian Express
21-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Vigilance raids office of Ernakulam's Thrikkakara municipality
KOCHI: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), Ernakulam, on Friday conducted a search at the Thrikkakara municipal office in connection with alleged fund mismanagement and discrepancy in appointments. The search, which began in the afternoon and continued into the evening. VACB officials said a preliminary probe is being conducted into financial discrepancies amounting to Rs 30 crore, reportedly missing from the accounts of the municipality. The irregularities came to the light following an audit conducted by the Kerala State Audit Department last year. It was found that around 433 cheques received by the municipality since 2014 were not recorded in register. A similar probe is also under way into the misuse of funds allocated for waste management projects of the civic bodies. Additionally, the VACB is probing alleged irregularities in contract appointments made by the municipality in recent years, following complaints about the selection process. Documents and registers were seized during the search. Officials said further action, including registering a case, would be taken after examining the seized documents.
New Indian Express
15-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Thrikkakara municipal chairperson defends council, says audit report false
KOCHI: On the defensive after the audit report for 2023-24 revealed major financial discrepancies in Thrikkakara municipality, chairperson Radhamani Pillai on Wednesday alleged that it was an election gimmick to defame the council as the local body election is nearing. Addressing the media, Radhamani said the municipality had submitted documents of every transaction to the Kerala State Audit Department (KSAD) but were not accepted. There is no corruption involved, she claimed. 'These cheques are handled by the secretary. Councillors are not involved in these matters. Also, the documents and files are moved through K-Smart. The false report is an attempt to defame the current council,' Radhamani said. The audit report released by the KSAD on May 9 flagged serious financial discrepancies in the municipality, pointing to corruption and lapses in financial dealings, and revealed that cheques for Rs 7.5 crore, collected and deposited, were not credited to the bank account.
