By: Afaq Bhat
Srinagar: During the past two years the Jammu and Kashmir government has launched a crusade against corruption and has taken numerous steps to make its employees accountable.
From empowering the anti-graft agencies to reopening the old cases everything has been done. Ones who considered themselves to be invincible too have been brought to book.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has been acting tough against the people who are coming under its scanner. The number of complaints being received by the ACB and other agencies has increased manifolds. The complaints that are found genuine are being acted upon and action is being taken against the officials who are found involved in corrupt practices.
Recently, Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta reaffirmed government’s resolve of zero tolerance towards corruption adding that technology is enabler for better and transparent functioning of administration.
Dr. Mehta emphasized upon the officers to further speed up and enhance disposal of cases besides making use of modern and innovative technologies in ACB on the lines of premier investigating agencies of the country to bring added efficiency in working of the Bureau.
The Chief Secretary fixed timeline for disposal of cases as per their pending period ensuring that three months old cases should be disposed off in a month’s time.
According to the officials this year 61 cases were registered by ACB and 32 charge-sheets were produced in various courts of law against the accused public servants. He also informed that on the aspect of preventive vigilance, large number of alert notes and advisories were issued to various departments.
After the rechristening of the State Vigilance Organization into Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) the Bureau has received 385 corruption related complaints of which, 64 were disposed off and remaining 321 matters were referred to Departmental Vigilance Officers and are under process towards their end, the officials said, adding that more than 2500 cases were referred to the ACB by General Administration Department (GAD) for vigilance clearance through e-vigilance portal, of which, more than 90 per cent cases were reverted back to GAD.
“The ACB has been equipped with e-office to support governance by ushering in more effective and transparent inter and intra-government processes. It would help in enhancing transparency, accountability and transforming the government work culture and ethics besides promoting innovation by releasing staff energy and time from unproductive procedures,” said an official.
The introduction of e-office will keep GAD connected with ACB 24×7 and monitoring matters will become faster and easier.
