| 'If there's not enough proof, complainant could be in jail' | | SAC receives no complaint against political class in 3 yrs | | Early Times Report
srinagar, Apr 28: In the last three years, the State Accountability Commission did not receive a complaint against any politician as the complainant could be in jail if he or she fails to provide enough evidence against the Chief Minister or any ministers for any wrongdoing.
Ever since the SAC was constituted in Jammu and Kashmir, it had faced many roadblocks in its functioning, which reduced its role of a premier anti-corruption watchdog.
The SAC was constituted in 2003 under provisions of Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission Act, 2002, and had powers to inquire into the grievances and allegations against public functionaries including CM, cabinet ministers, legislators and bureaucrats.
However, it did not receive any complaint against any politician in the last three years despite there are often allegations against politicians for wrongdoings in the state.
"We did not receive any complain related to corruption or wrong doing against any politician since 2015," an official said.
The official said, "People are shirking to come with complaints. There is also a provision in the law that if somebody lodges complaint without enough evidence he may face the punishment. For lodging a complaint against CM or minister, one has to be supported with proof," the official said.
The official said that politicians in Jammu and Kashmir do not want to make any amendments to make it people friendly. "People are reluctant to lodge complaints because of several provisions in it," he said, while regretting that SAC could not "persuade" people to come forward and lodge complaints against the political class.
The state government amended the Act in 2011 and restricted the jurisdiction of the SAC to investigating cases of corruption against political executive (public functionaries) like the CM, deputy CM, the presiding officers of the state legislature, ministers, advisors including advisors to the CM, the members of the state legislature and persons holding the status of a minister. The cases against public servants (administration) were kept in the jurisdiction of vigilance Organization.
In 2006, the then SAC Chairperson Justice (Retd) RP Sethi resigned on the grounds that political intervention had reduced its role and rendered it ineffective.
"It has been a failure that we could not succeed in restoring the powers of the Commission as were originally enshrined in Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission Act-2002," the official said.
Since 2015, he said that SAC had submitted several recommendations to the government. "The government has been totally indifferent towards the Commission," he said.
The ruling coalition governing Jammu and Kashmir had promised in their "Agenda of Alliance" that they would impart the body more powers to make it an efficient force to root out the corruption in the state. "However, on ground nothing has been done so far," the official added. |
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