Flood relief scam: Kerala govt sacks clerk for swindling over ₹75 lakh; 12 of 15 charges proven

Kakkanad: Vishnu Prasad, the prime accused in the Ernakulam Collectorate-centred flood relief fund scam that created a major row, has been dismissed from service. He was previously a section clerk at the Collectorate. The dismissal order was issued by Land Revenue Commissioner K Mohammed Y Safirulla after departmental lapses were confirmed.

The decision follows an internal investigation that uncovered serious irregularities. The Ernakulam District Collector has been directed to take further action. The proceedings were based on the inquiry report, supporting documents, Vishnu Prasad’s statement, and verified findings.

12 out of 15 charges confirmed 

The inquiry found that 12 out of 15 serious charges against Vishnu were substantiated. The case relates to the misappropriation of compensation funds sanctioned for victims of the August 2018 floods.

Funds diverted to personal accounts

Vishnu manipulated official documents and transferred over ₹75 lakhs into personal and associates’ bank accounts.

The scandal came to light in January 2019, after which Vishnu Prasad was suspended. Years of administrative delay in taking firm action led to criticism from various quarters.

What happened?

As an ordinary clerk, Vishnu Prasad siphoned off ₹76.83 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund into his own account. Due to negligence, the state also suffered a loss of ₹7.72 crore. This included large sums wrongly transferred to ineligible flood victims — some of whom received ₹1 lakh to ₹3 lakh despite eligibility for only ₹10,000.

A special team led by Joint Commissioner Dr A Kowsigan of the Land Revenue Commissionerate inspected all relevant files related to 2018 and 2019 flood relief disbursements at the Collectorate. A dedicated section was opened to support the team’s two-week-long investigation, the findings of which were then submitted to the government.