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| SAC gets silent burial as J&K Govt pulls down website | | Didn’t punish anyone during its tenure, erstwhile regimes spent Rs 6 cr on toothless tiger | | Early Times Report
Jammu, May 28: The Jammu and Kashmir government has finally taken down the official website of State Accountability Commission- http://jksac.nic.in/ from the cyber world, leaving behind the trail of failed measures taken by the successive regimes of the erstwhile J&K State to contain the mounting graft cases.
On October 23, last year, the government ordered winding up of the SAC. The General Administration Department (GAD) issued an order stating that consequent upon the repeal of the Acts related to these Commissions by the J&K Reorganization Act, 2019, sanction is hereby accorded to the winding up of these Commissions, with effect from October 31, 2019 that is the appointed date for the formation of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and Union Territory of Ladakh.
However, what is more ironic is that from its inception to its closure, the commission didn’t punish anyone.
The non- serious approach of the successive regimes in the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State had left this vital anti- graft body toothless with limited powers. It could not even issue a summon against those against whom it received the allegations of the graft related cases.
As per the reports coming to fore, not even a single action was taken by the JKSAC from 2012 onwards- revealing how useless this body was rendered by the helmsmen.
On the other hand, more than Rs 6 crore and 30 lakh were spent on the SAC in the past. During 2010-11, more than Rs 85 lakh were spent on the anti-graft body by the State; Rs 1 crore and 73 lakhs in 2011-12; more than Rs 2 crore in 2012-13.
Interestingly, then Governor NN Vohra had announced in 2011 to strengthen the SAC, but the then State government didn’t even appoint the second member of the commission. The SAC could not take suo-moto cognizance of any issue due to failure of the erstwhile governments to empower it.
The High Court had held that the anti- corruption watchdog cannot exercise suo- moto powers in absence of inherent powers.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the SAC was constituted under Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission Act, 2002, to inquire into the grievances and allegations against public functionaries and for matters connected therewith. Section 3 of the Act, provides that the Accountability Commission shall consist of:- (a) a Chairperson who has been a Judge of the Supreme Court or a Judge of any High Court]; and (b) such other Members, if any, as may be prescribed In terms of Rule 4 framed under section 30 of the J&K Accountability Commission Act. |
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