news details |
|
|
| SAC, SVC facing acute staff shortage; Govt unmoved | | J&K fears accountability? | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
Jammu, Dec 28: If non-seriousness and delinquent attitude are criterion, Jammu and Kashmir Government would soon be writing obituary of two commissions constituted to check rampant corruption.
Accountability Commission and Vigilance Commission are suffering from acute shortage of officers. Though reluctantly and hesitantly, both institutions were created with sole intention of fighting corruption in the administrative system at the highest level. However, the same Government functionaries i.e. both politicians and bureaucrats who created these two institutions with pomp and show have ensured that these institutions die their own death with the passage of time.
Though the State Vigilance Commission (SVC) is just two year old, 9 year old State Accountability Commission (SAC) is almost on crutches. Despite having two well-known and efficient judges as Chairperson and member of the commission, it is suffering from acute shortage of staff. Of the three member commission, only two have been provided while no exercise is underway to appoint the third one.
Insensitivity towards public accountability can be seen from the fact that an IAS rank officer was supposed to act as Principal Secretary to the Chairperson; the same is yet to be made available. Ask the GAD and they would tell you that IAS officers consider this punishment posting and do not want to go there. Such is the aversion to posting in SAC that state has been unable to spare even a KAS officer for this crucial job.
If insiders are to be believed, non-seriousness of the Government has resulted in the two judges functioning without even judgement writers and court officers. Public prosecutors are yet to be posted in the commission. Translators, Section officers, Assistant Registrars, Computer Operators and clerks are all missing. Under section 31 of even the amended Act, SAC needs an investigation wing.
The same has seemingly been declined by the State Government since it sanctioned 19 gazetted as well as non-gazetted posts to the commission but did not include investigation wing. Ask for the reason and you would be given the same explanation that police officers on being told about their posting in SAC prefer going on long leave then being posted in the commission.
On its part, sources affirm that commission has been writing time and again to the Government to redress its grievances but the attitude continues to be abysmal. To add salt to the wounds, a senior officer in the Law Department said that work load in SAC is so low that even five officials can manage this. He added that most of the cases with SAC have been stayed by the High Court while the complaint inflow rate has dropped significantly.
He claimed that after the state amended the act and reduced its effectiveness, people have stopped lodging complaints with the commission. After having clipped wings of SAC, State Government has begun troubling Vigilance Commission (SVC). It took Government more than 8 months to provide the high profile commission official accommodation. Housed in the building of JKPCC in Jammu, the commission is suffering serious shortage of staff.
Citing the increasing load of complaints, commission had projected demand of around 82 officers and has so far received just 25. Sources said that commission has been receiving more than 60 to 100 complaints every week. They added that commission had projected the same before the State Government and sought immediate deputation of around 50 officers for the smooth functioning of the commission. But State Government provided it with just 25 officials.
If the sources are to be believed, GAD has been misinforming Chief Minister's office about the work load on the commission. "They tell officials in the CM's secretariat that SVC does not need 82 officers since they have few cases to deal with on daily basis. Hence, the Government has been delaying the same," said an official. He maintained that either the Government should provide commission with adequate staff or allow the authorities in SVC to make appointments on their own. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
