Explained | Building number scam in Kozhikode Corporation

How were a large number of building numbers allotted unlawfully using a software? What has been the fallout from the scam?

The story so far: The reinstatement of four out of five employees who were suspended as part of the building number scam in Kozhikode Corporation has put the spotlight back on the scam and the investigation of it. While the investigation by the District Crime Branch has reached no where, opposition parties are demanding a comprehensive inquiry under the watchful eyes of the Court.

Also read: Uproar in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation council meet over building number scam

On June 17 this year, a section of the local media reported a deep-rooted scam connected to the Sanchaya building tax assessment software used in the corporation as well as all local bodies in the State. It was revealed that the login details of some employees in the revenue section of the corporation were leaked out to allot numbers to a large number of buildings, including a few that were unauthorised or deemed unfit. The report was accompanied by claims by a few officials that they had pointed out misuse of digital signatures through the Sanchaya software almost six months ago, but that the Corporation authorities did not pay heed to it. In what was then perceived as a knee-jerk reaction, the Corporation Secretary K.U. Bini suspended four officials whose login IDs and passwords were found to have been used in the scam.

The opposition in the Corporation council, mostly the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) soon launched agitations demanding a comprehensive inquiry into the scam alleging that the Secretary had a role in it and hence should step aside to facilitate an impartial inquiry. They conducted protests within the Corporation office, often leading to violence, and even gheraoed the Mayor once. They also alleged that hundreds of buildings were part of the scam while the Corporation authorities confirmed only a handful of cases.

The Corporation employees on the other hand irrespective of their political affiliations, joined hands to launch a strike demanding the reinstatement of the suspended employees, on grounds that they were innocent in the grand scheme of things. The employees alleged that the software developed by the Information Kerala Mission (IKM) had several glitches and was so open that anyone with login details could access it from anywhere to get details regarding property tax in the corporation, and could make changes and even replace an existing file with the one that suited them.

As soon as the scam came into light, the Corporation Secretary ordered an internal inquiry led by the Additional Secretary. The Department of Local Self Governance and the IKM conducted inquiries besides the Police investigation into the case. The State Vigilance launched ‘Operation True House’ to unearth similar scams, if any, in other local bodies in the State as the Sanchaya software was used for building tax assessment across the State. The Corporation also appointed a team to check out building numbers allotted in the last year to find out if any of them were part of the scam.

The investigation conducted by the IKM revealed that the digital signatures of a few retired employees as well as an official in the Elathur Zonal Office have been misused, besides those of the suspended officials. The digital signature of a former Deputy Secretary was used for authorising one of the illegal buildings while five of them had the signature of a former Revenue Officer. The login details of the suspended officials were used for authorising a lot of buildings.