Peerzada Ummer
ET Report
srinagar, Dec 5: The J&K Government has decided to equip the State Accountability Commission (SAC) with staff and powers.
According to highly placed sources, the Government held a high level meeting over the issue wherein it was extensively discussed that how the SAC would be equipped with all necessary measures. One of the top officials told Early Times that within 15 to 20 days the SAC would be accorded the rights to function sans any hindrance.
But, as per the official, the major roadblocks in this initiative are scores of amendments made by successive regimes in the SAC Act resulted in exclusion of the public administration from its jurisdiction.
There are also hints being given that the SAC would be given a semi-autonomous status, and proper infrastructure which includes the Commission's own investigating agency, prosecuting agency and inquiry agency.
Early Times had recently reported that the SAC chairman has intimated the Government that he would resign if the Commission continues to remain a virtual toothless tiger unable to take action against the cases of corruption and misuse of the official position by the helmsmen.
Sources said that the Government is contemplating the possibilities of giving SAC a prosecuting agency under which a public prosecutor could carry the case further.
In terms of Section 4 of the Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission Act, the appointment of Chairperson and the Members is to be made by the Governor on the recommendation of a Committee consisting of Chief Minister, Speaker of Legislative Assembly, Chief Justice of State High Court, Law Minister and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly.
In September, this year, Governor NN Vohra, in exercise of the powers vested in him under Section of the Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission Act, 2002, appointed Justice Bashir Ahmed Khan as chairperson and Justice JP Singh and Justice BA Kirmani as members of the Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission for five years. The SAC had remained defunct for the last two years because all its members had completed their term of office. |
