Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Tuesday unveiled an ambitious anti-graft initiative, “Project Zero,” to make the state completely corruption-free through a phased and systematic process.
Launching the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau’s (VACB) ambitious anti-graft initiative, Project Zero, at the Vigilance headquarters here on Tuesday, Chennithala said corruption is one of the biggest obstacles to transparent governance and public welfare. “The objective of the government is to protect the right of citizens to receive services fairly and on time. Corruption should never become a socially accepted practice. Project Zero is designed to effectively combat both traditional and emerging forms of corruption in the digital era,” he added.
The minister said the primary objective of Project Zero was to ensure that people receive government services without facing corruption at public offices Chennithala said the campaign would be implemented with the support of the public and media. He urged people to report corruption directly to the VACB and assured complete confidentiality for whistleblowers and complainants.
“VACB will go behind every corrupt person, including leaders and officials. We will not spare anyone who is corrupt, whoever it is. “The motto of the initiative is ‘Together let’s build a corruption-free Kerala,’ and we will work towards achieving that,” said Ramesh Chennithala.
As part of the drive, he also announced a reward of Rs 5,000 for people who provide video evidence of corruption or bribery incidents. The identity of complaints would be kept strictly confidential.
Characterizing the new initiative as a “revolution,” Chennithala warned that corruption has evolved into digital formats akin to cybercrime. To counter this, the VACB will deploy extensive technology to track, block, and investigate illicit practices, positioning the bureau as a formidable deterrent.
The minister also announced that the Vigilance Manual, originally prepared in 1969, would be revised and updated in tune with changing times. The draft revision has already been prepared and sent to the Home Department for consideration.
As regards amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act, particularly provisions requiring approval from appointing authorities before proceeding against officials, Chennithala said these had become a hurdle in corruption investigations and prosecutions.