Kochi Corporation files found at scrap shop

KOCHI: Nearly 70 sacks of documents belonging to the Kochi Corporation that included RTI applications and ownership certificates among others were recovered from scrap dealers in the city on Saturday.

A group of BJP activists found the sacks containing the files abandoned at scrap collection sites near the Panampilly Nagar RoB and at PT Usha Nagar around 12 pm. The BJP activists led by district president P J Thomas staged a sit-in before the corporation office.

“The corporation employees were acting on behalf of top leaders to hide many irregularities during the UDF rule at the corporation. The files were shifted from the office and handed over to scrap dealers in the cover of the Swatch Bharat programme,” said P Sivasankar, a BJP leader.  

The sacks contained documents on audit objections during the 2013-14 fiscal, register on utilisation of funds for garbage removal, structural designs of hotels and shopping complexes, among others.

Later, Corporation secretary V R Raju visited the scrap collection sites and took custody of the files. “The files were shifted to the Corporation office at Padiyath on Friday night as part of cleaning process. However, somebody might have stolen it from there and sold to scrap dealers. We’ll file a theft case with the police and also conduct an internal probe as to how it reached the scrap dealers,” he said.

RTI activist D B Binu said he had filed a case for criminal breach of trust. “The secretary and other officials of the Cochin Corporation have committed Criminal Breach of Trust under Section 409 of Indian Penal Code. The intention of the officials is clear as it is to destroy the evidence that show their involvement in corruption and maladministration,” he said in a statement.