Vigilance detects irregularities at Kasaragod port office

Four alleged irregularities, including unauthorised appointments, diversion of sand permits, use of boats with expired licences for sand mining, and discrepancies in financial records, were detected during a Vigilance inspection at the Kasaragod Port Office.

The Vigilance team found that employees had been appointed on a daily wage basis without government orders or approval from the competent authorities since 2017. Such employees had been deployed for work at river ghats as well as the port office.

The team examined documents relating to these appointments. The inspection also revealed that sand had been allotted to individuals using building permits without the knowledge or consent of the actual owners. Permits issued in the name of building owners were allegedly used by other persons to obtain sand.

Another irregularity concerned licences for boats used for sand mining at authorised ghats. The team found that the validity of the licences of boats currently being used for sand mining had expired on August 31, 2026. The circumstances under which boats with expired licences continued to be used for the activity were examined.

The fourth irregularity involved discrepancies in the cash book of the office. The cash book had been updated only up to August 14, 2026, with financial transactions for nearly three subsequent months remaining unrecorded.

The Vigilance authorities are scrutinising the findings and documents collected to initiate further action.