Thiruvananthapuram: Openly criticising the state government's decision to relax safety norms for highrises, DGP Jacob Thomas on Wednesday said compromising on policies for development could result in Chennai-like disaster. He also alleged that whistleblowers were denied protection and painted as abnormal.
In a veiled attack on Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, the senior IPS officer said, quoting books, vested interests were influencing policies.
"We have got policies. But visions keep on changing directions upward or downward or other sides. The most corrupt will defend corruption shamelessly and confidently. One who points out corruption is considered abnormal. Silencing is one method to perpetrate corruption. When the political leadership becomes corrupt it needs to be reported to the people who appoints them," he said.
Participating in a discussion on corruption organised by Kerala Next, an NGO, in connection with the International Anti-Corruption Day, here Mr Thomas said, according to his knowledge, safety norms prescribed by National Building Code applied to the state also.
Mushrooming highrises without any control or following safety standards would result in Chennai like floods in Kochi or Thiruvananthapuram.
"Does development means going against good practices?” asked Mr Thomas, who was shifted from Fire and Rescue Services commandant general's post after strictly enforcing fire safety norms on highrise residential buildings.
“Even the UN Sustainable Development Goals prescribed development in harmony with nature," he said.
Mr Thomas, who is now Kerala Police Housing Construction Corporation CMD, also said actions were being taken against whistleblowers and the corrupt rewarded.
"A revenue official in Idukki and two forest rangers in Thrissur were among those who faced action for exposing corruption, whereas officers facing vigilance cases are made government secretaries," he said.
Kerala University former pro-vice-chancellor J. Prabhash also took part in the discussions.
