news details |
|
|
| Is Govt really sincere about fighting corruption? | | |
Peerzada Ummer
Early Times Report
srinagar, Sept 16: If the PDP-BJP coalition Government is committed to end the menace of corruption in the State why is it reluctant to punish the tainted politicians? This or other related questions are being asked by different quarters.
"The Government has announced that it would soon make public the second list of corrupt officials. But there is no word about the wrongdoings committed by politicians and Ministers in the previous National Conference-Congress regime," asked Mohammad Abrar Mir, a young IT professional.
Notably, when the PDP and the BJP were in opposition, they used to train their guns at the Ministers of the NC-Cong alliance who were caught by various anti-graft bodies.
The State Accountability Commission (SAC) had alone registered cases against nine Ministers in the previous regime. The incumbent regime has been saying, time and again, that it was committed to strengthening the SAC. The Government has, however, remained tightlipped over taking any action against the nine Ministers booked by the SAC for allegedly plundering the State exchequer while in power.
"Do the former Ministers enjoy political immunity? If law is same for all, why is the Government shying away from sending the culprits to jail," asked Syed Khalid, a political activist.
The nine former Ministers booked by the SAC included former Deputy Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Tara Chand. He was accused of swindling money when he was holding the portfolio of the Urban and Local Bodies Minister. A massive recruitment racket was reported in 2011 in the ULB Department that oversees local governance through municipal bodies.
The ULB Department had made over 1,500 illegal appointments, almost doubling the number of employees, with devastating consequences. Funds from local tax collection, devolution funds from the State's revenue and the Centre's developmental grants are now exclusively used to pay the salaries.
Another Minister and senior Congress leader, Taj Mohi-ud-Din, was accused of turning a blind eye to a multi-crore scam in the Public Health Engineering Department, division Rajouri. The PHE Department under Taj was accused of purchasing substandard pipes above the market price and issuing contracts without proper tendering, causing loss to the exchequer to the tune of crores of rupees.
In December 2012, the SAC issued notice to yet another Congress Minister Suman Lata Bhagat for creating immovable property through a trust which was meant to serve the weaker sections of society. Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had on the floor of the House in 2014 said the Government was investigating the matter. No action was, however, taken.
The case of misappropriation of money and misuse of official position against Gulchain Singh, a former Minister in Ghulam Nabi Azad Government, is pending for inquiry in the SAC since 2012.On March 27, 2012, the SAC issued notices to Charak, former Minister for Works, several officers of the J&K Project Construction Corporation (JKPCC) and a high profile private contractor. The SAC had taken cognizance of a complaint about Rs 30 crore Ganpat bridge project and sought comments from the former CM Omar Abdullah who was also the chairman of the JKPCC. Several other projects worth crores were allotted to the same contractor, allegedly at the behest of politicians and bureaucrats, flouting codal formalities.
Yet another senior Congress Minister Sham Lal Sharma was accused of being involved in fake drugs scandal that rocked Kashmir in 2013. The Doctors Association of Kashmir holds Sharma, Director Health and the head of CPC responsible for all the fake drug menace.
One of the senior most leaders of the Congress party and former Hajj and Auqaf Minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed was found allegedly involved in the infamous copying scam as he helped his foster son to qualify matriculation examination by using unfair-means.
In another case, in the infamous Panchayat Ghar scam, it was alleged that during his tenure as Rural Development Minister, Sayeed had ordered purchase of computers, cement, steel trunks, furniture and various other items of daily use worth crores of rupees on exorbitant rates.
Another infamous scam worth over Rs 1000 crore involving Dr Manohar Lal Sharma, a senior Congress Minister, was also reported some years ago. Sharma was found involved in a Housing Cooperative Society scam. As in other cases, no action was initiated against Sharma. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
