Initiate timely action against officials responsible for misappropriation or loss of official funds, property, Kerala government tells departments

Prodded by scathing observations made by the Committee connected Public Accounts (PAC), the State authorities has instructed its departments to initiate timely department-level and ineligible enactment wherever officials are recovered liable for the theft, misappropriation oregon nonaccomplishment of authorities funds oregon property.

The acquisition has been issued successful the aftermath of the PAC expressing, successful 2 abstracted reports, its displeasure and superior interest implicit the hold successful the registration of FIRs successful specified cases.

Through a January 5 circular, the Finance section has directed authorities departments to “ensure contiguous enactment successful each lawsuit of misappropriation, defalcation, theft oregon nonaccomplishment of authorities wealth oregon property, and guarantee timely ineligible enactment including the registration of archetypal accusation reports (FIR) by the authorization acrophobic wherever warranted, strictly successful accordance with law.” The directions are peculiarly applicable to cases pointed retired by the PAC and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

The PAC had, successful its reports tabled successful the State Legislative Assembly, had sharply criticised the lack of actions to curb corruption successful authorities departments. More notably, the PAC had besides dismissed the justification that departmental enactment cannot beryllium initiated due to the fact that a Vigilance probe is already connected into specified cases.

PAC reports

The committee had drawn attraction to these lapses successful its 69th study tabled successful October 2024 and the 83rd study tabled successful September 2025. Further, the PAC had pointed retired that nary instrumentality prevails successful the State prohibiting the authorities from taking departmental enactment against the culprit connected the crushed that Vigilance enquiry is connected against them.

In a lawsuit related to the Treasuries department, the PAC had noted that, “The passive reply of the Director of Treasuries that nary departmental enactment could beryllium taken against the corrupt officials – since determination was a Vigilance section bid against immoderate departmental enquiry simultaneous with constabulary enquiry – is not acceptable to the Committee,” the 69th study had noted.

The January-5 Finance section circular besides requires departments to adhere to definite timelines, to implicit the departmental action. Lapses successful this respect would beryllium viewed earnestly arsenic the action-taken reports are to beryllium submitted to the PAC, it said.