Kerala’s government launched the Break the Chain campaign to curb COVID‑19 transmission, delegating its execution to the Kerala Social Security Mission (KSSM). A recent audit by the Finance Inspection Wing (NT‑D) has raised serious concerns about the campaign’s financial management and procedural compliance, casting a shadow over one of the state’s most lauded pandemic responses.

Findings of the Inspection

The inspection, conducted in May 2024, notes that although the campaign cost ₹4.88 crore, no explicit government order ever assigned implementation responsibility to KSSM. Consequently, no ratification was obtained for either the programmes or the expenditures incurred.

Procedural Gaps and Missing Audits

Key irregularities highlighted include the absence of cost estimates for works carried out at KSSM’s headquarters, incomplete tender processes, and a lack of entries in the stock register. The only internal audit was performed by a chartered‑accountancy firm chosen by KSSM itself, with no evidence of an independent performance or social audit.

Questionable Financial Practices

Advance payments were released without any value assessment, and settlement timelines were repeatedly missed. Numerous IEC (Information, Education, Communication) tasks were outsourced to private agencies or individuals without prior government permission or post‑completion ratification, breaching standard procurement norms.

Response from Mohammed Asheel

Mohammed Asheel, who served as Executive Director at the time, has categorically rejected the inspection report, labeling it a “conspiracy” aimed at discrediting the campaign. He submitted a 69‑page response comprising legal, technical, and factual evidence, which he claims was cherry‑picked, truncated, and dismissed with an “unsatisfactory” verdict, without any explanation.

Asheel also points out that he was never contacted during the seven inspection visits—neither by letter, email, nor formal notice—arguing that the findings were constructed from individuals who allegedly withheld evidence.

Impact of the ‘Break the Chain’ Initiative

International bodies have praised the campaign as a “gold standard” for pandemic community engagement. The Lancet highlighted its innovative use of behavioural nudges, while MIT studied it as a replicable, low‑cost, high‑impact response model. Asheel estimates that the initiative saved roughly 15,000 lives in 2020 alone and prevented over 500,000 infections, flattening the epidemic curve and buying critical time for Kerala’s health system.

Given the severity of the findings, the inspection report urges a comprehensive audit of KSSM’s asset records and recommends disciplinary action against Asheel to reinforce financial transparency in future public‑health endeavors.