CAG report reveals irregularities by Jacob Thomas during his tenure as Ports Director

The report also points out that the fund allotted for setting up solar panels at the building were misused.
CAG report reveals irregularities by Jacob Thomas during his tenure as Ports Director
CAG report reveals irregularities by Jacob Thomas during his tenure as Ports Director
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A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has now brewed fresh trouble for IPS officer Jacob Thomas.

The report reveals a number of irregularities committed by Jacob, during his tenure as the Ports Director from 2009 to 2014. Currently, Jacob Thomas is posted as the Director of Institute of Management in Government (IMG).

According to the report, there are grave irregularities in the construction of the department headquarters in Valiyathura in Thiruvananthapuram, including that a sanction from the Corporation was not procured ahead of the construction and that the official had misled the state government. By not procuring the requisite permission from the Corporation, the department had to pay an additional Rs 2.4 Crore as tax.

In the report, it is also pointed out that despite the building being constructed at a cost of Rs 1.93 Crore, the present condition of the building is deteriorating. The reports states that Jacob Thomas had failed to assess the quality of the constructed building.

Over and above this, the CAG has also found irregularities in the construction of a conference hall at the department office in Kodungallur in Thrissur district.

According to media reports, the report also points out that the fund allotted for setting up solar panels at the building were also misused. The report also notes that Jacob had installed sub-standard solar panels in a number of offices, which were now dysfunctional.

Kerala Public Expenditure and Review Committee (KPERC), in October last year, had found that Jacob had made irregularities while installing solar panels, thereby bringing loss to the exchequer.

The KPERC report had then led to the department to initiate a department-level investigation against Jacob. The developments had come out at a time when Jacob was serving as the Director of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau.

After Jacob went on an extended long leave for about three months earlier this year, he was appointed as Director of IMG in June.

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