Early Times Report
Srinagar, Sept 30: At a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is showing his seriousness towards Information Technology revolution from Facebook headquarters in the US, the official website of J&K's anti-graft agency, the State Accountability Commission (SAC), hasn't been updated from last more than one year.
The SAC's website (www.jksac.nic.in) shows Justice (retd) Y P Nargotra as chairman of the Commission and Justice (retd) Hakeem Imtiyaz Hussain as member. Photos of Justice Nargotra and Justice Hussain are also displayed on the website. Notably, Justice Nargotra and Justice Hussain retired from the SAC in August 2014.
Also, orders issued by SAC from time to time and the cause list is not available on the SAC website, putting a question mark on the functioning of the body.
SAC was constituted under provisions of J&K Accountability Commission Act, 2002. The mandate of SAC is to inquire into the grievances and allegations against public functionaries that includes Chief Minister, Ministers, MLAs, MLCs, chairpersons of various commissions, boards, vice-chancellors etc.
Justice (retd) R P Sethi was appointed as first chairman of the SAC in 2006, but he resigned from the post alleging Government's interference in the functioning of the SAC. The Commission remained headless for as many as four years. From the last one year, the SAC remained defunct after the retirement of Justice Nargotra and Justice Hussain.
"Even as the SAC has been headless from the last one year, the staff is still available at Commission's office which is headed by Secretary, a senior KAS officer. It is the duty of the Secretary to update the website, but it seems the staff members at SAC are not doing their duty," said Umar Javaid, an RTI Activist from Srinagar.
Meanwhile, the SAC is all set to become operational soon as the selection committee headed by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has recommended the name of Justice (retd) Bashir Ahmad Khan, the former Chief Justice of J&K High Court, as its chairman.
Other names cleared by the selection committee as members of SAC are Justice (retd) Bashir Ahmad Kirmani and Justice (retd) J P Singh, former judges of the J&K High Court. Governor N N Vohra has also given his consent for the appointment of new chairman and members. |
