Thiruvananthapuram: A statewide vigilance inspection at Kerala State Sports Council’s headquarters and all 14 district sports council offices has found widespread irregularities in procurement, utilisation of funds, maintenance of records, conduct of championships and management of sports facilities.The inspection, code-named Operation Kalikkalam, was conducted on Wednesday from 10.30am as part of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau’s Project Zero initiative. The inspections found that several district councils had failed to utilise funds received under Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA) within the stipulated period, with the state sports council failing to exercise adequate oversight.The vigilance team also found instances of athletes who had not qualified at district-level championships being sent to state-level competitions. Sports equipment purchased using govt funds remained unused in several offices and stores, while stock and distribution records were either incomplete or not maintained.In several districts, registration fees from athletes were collected through UPI transactions without proper receipts. Procurement and contract procedures were also found to have been bypassed in many projects. Indoor stadiums were being rented out without uniform criteria, with different rates charged to different users.Basic financial and property records, including cash books and purchase, property and disposal registers, were not properly maintained in several offices. In some cases, contract files and supporting documents were unavailable.At the council’s headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, vigilance found irregularities in the utilisation of PYKKA funds and serious lapses in monitoring by the council. Sports equipment recorded as received from National Games Academy could not be traced during the inspection, while five laptops shown in the stock register were also missing.The inspection also found irregularities relating to allowances and appointments at the sports council. A consultant was reportedly appointed without the required govt approval. A former council president was paid various allowances without clear sanction orders, while irregular payments were also detected in connection with the functioning of a govt employee as district council president during 2019-21.District-level inspections brought out several specific lapses. Vigilance director Manoj Abraham said detailed follow-up investigations would be carried out and legal action taken against those found responsible. It said stronger monitoring and inspections would be introduced under Project Zero to improve transparency in athlete selection, conduct of competitions, utilisation of govt funds and sports equipment, and management of stadiums and other institutions under the sports council.
