Harsh Dev Singh
Transparency International in one of its reports had described J&K as the second most corrupt state in the country. That however was the situation couple of years back. With the passage of time, the govts changed. And the focus is now on slogans and sermons. Morality is being preached full throttle by all. But the fact remains that none wants to practice it. While the claims of corruption free dispensation and good governance are haughtily made in public speeches, the institutions of credence are being demolished. The helmsmen are enjoying full authority sans accountability. No takers for complaints, requests, grievances of the public. None answerable for irregularities, scams and frauds even of gargantuan proportions. A free for all kind of situation in the new UT. And with the dismantling of checks and balances which existed in the form of State Vigilance Commission, State Information Commission and particularly the Accountability Commission, the UT of J&K has surely and manifestly achieved the top slot in corruption. The BJP Govt which ascended the throne of power on the slogan of “Na khaoonga, na khane doonga”, ended up dissolving even the Accountability Commission that was constituted by the past regimes to probe the charges of corruption, nepotism, irregularities, frauds, omissions and commissions of the political leadership thereby giving an open field to the top leadership and politicians to operate as unquestionable despots despite several cases of financial misconduct and immoral practices against them.
Post 2014 era has witnessed unprecedented corruption in public life. This is because of disbanding the Accountability Commission which was the sole powerful and impartial institution established to probe the complaints of misconduct against the top echelons of power, the Ministers, MLAs and other heads of corporations etc who manoeuvred a free passage by defying the other anti graft bodies of the state due to their political clout and influence. The Accountability Commission was the only credible forum for trial of cases against the powerful mafia as it comprised of the Judges of Supreme Court and High Court who were eminent men of letters known for impeccable moral integrity besides being uninfluenced by political affiliations. The people had started approaching the Accountability Commission with several complaints having been lodged in the said Commission against the top politicians of the then state and trials having been initiated. A complaint lodged by BJP leaders against me was also entertained by the Accountability Commission. I had duly contested the same and replied to around 100 odd allegations levelled against me by the BJP leadership with the Accountability Commission taking the written statements also and ultimately dismissing the complaint in 2013-14, with all such allegations dismissed as biased and motivated. The cases of several Ministers, MLAs and others however were still under trial when the BJP govt atonce ordered the dissolution of Accountability Commission. The govt action has not only amounted to shielding the corrupt leaders facing corruption charges but has also emboldened others who had looted public exchequer, usurped state lands worth millions, allotted works costing crores without tenders, made backdoor appointments besides having indulged in financial irregularities of various kinds. The govt claims of curbing corruption through ACB, CBI etc are untenable in view of the partisan role of vigilante organizations which are reported to be harassing and persecuting opposition leaders only to the exclusion of ruling party leaders and its affiliates. While those affiliated with ruling party are allowed a free run, the state agencies are maliciously targeting opposition with vicious mendacities.
Corruption has certainly become all pervasive in J&K. There can’t be any second opinion on that. The deep rooted culture of corruption has been fast spreading its tentacles and has engulfed the entire system like bubonic plague. The enforcement machinery has floundered to act against the corrupt. The reasons are obvious. The corruption is emanating from the top or else it is sheltered by those at the helm of affairs. The anti graft bodies are laying their hands only on the small fries and ignoring their patrons. The conduits are mere cogs in the nefarious wheel. It needs to cleanse the augean stables by laying hands on the big fish who seem to be beyond the control of the said organizations. And corruption can never be curbed unless these big fish are apprehended and punished under law. For it is said that cleansing of staircase must always begin from the top. The state and central level agencies having failed to entertain or even register the complaints against these powerful politicians, the revival of Accountability Commission assumes all the more significance in a UT like J&K which unmistakably has assumed the No.1 slot in corruption in the past few years.
Scams by helmsmen has been a regular feature of J&K’s polity. There are several blemished politicians of various hues and colours who looted public exchequer, encroached State lands, Forest lands, Municipal and JDA lands besides having installed illegal brick kilns, stone crushers, hot mix plants and raised mammoth movable and immovable properties in various parts of the State and outside by abusing their position and authority. The local media and even erstwhile Governor SP Malik had referred to several scams in the J&K State in insurance contracts, power projects, Forest and Health Departments besides large scale illegitimate back door appointments but the bigwigs continued to enjoy immunity in view of their political clout with no action whatsoever initiated against the corrupt politicians. The said Governor was on record having made repeated statements about some politicians having raised palatial bungalows with 40-50 rooms each at several places including Srinagar, Jammu, New Delhi and elsewhere through ill gotten wealth. The said Governor had claimed that even he was offered a bribe of Rs. 300 crores for clearing two files by corporates and agencies affiliated to BJP. Regretfully no action was initiated against such corrupt leaders or their political affiliates. And interestingly, the BJP tried to cover up the Roshni scam and also filed a review petition in the High Court after its own MLAs were found involved in the nasty Roshni scandal. This has led to the general impression that BJP govt deliberately abolished the Accountability Commission only to protect its corrupt leaders.
The govt’s tall slogans of providing transparent, accountable and corruption free governance to the people have in practice proved a hoax. All such melodramatic rants were made to enchant the masses for political gains. Several Ex-BJP Ministers and MLAs had been reported to have created huge assets, taken loan from J&K Bank amounting to several crores and got it declared NPA besides having defied norms and procedures and violated Defence Acts besides other violations in constructing un-authorized structures and palatial bungalows. Even during demonetization a BJP Minister’s vehicle was widely reported to have been apprehended while carrying huge ‘dirty cash’ for conversion into new currency notes. Similarly another Minister’s spouse was reported to have been video-graphed while converting black money into gold. Another Minister was accused of having taken several crores as bribe from his colleague for granting permission for construction of private apartments in an environmentally fragile area of Jammu.
Several BJP Ministers were accused of promoting transfer industry in the State, allotment of works without tenders and illegal appointments made in govt departments on monetary and extraneous considerations. Several Ministers and MLAs had encroached huge State lands and Forest lands whose adverse reports had been submitted even by the investigating agencies against them. And while the BJP leaders continued to unauthorizedly occupy govt premises including Ministerial bungalows in violation of SOPs, the administration continued to shelter the delinquents providing the most glaring example of patronized corruption. Not only that the corrupt leaders of BJP were being provided immunity and due protection in view of they being the members of the ruling party at the centre. A BJP MLA rose from rags to riches within no time and had been accused of raising two palatial bungalows after elections besides raising huge moveable and immoveable assets in Jammu city and its vicinity which were disproportionate to his known sources of income. In replies of RTIs, State land measuring 22 kanals and 15 marlas was found to be in illegal possession of said MLA and his family who had further regularized 9 Kanals 15 Marlas of state land under the nasty Roshni scheme besides he having been involved in swindling subsidies from Agriculture and Horticulture departments which were supposed to be meant for the poor and the BPL families. Several unemployed youth had claimed to be duped and looted by the said BJP MLA in the name of employment besides extortions from employees in the name of transfers. The said MLA has purchased several nami and benami plots in Jammu and its vicinity besides other luxury vehicles but has been allowed immunity in view of being a BJP leader.
Several Ex-Ministers and MLAs are running illegal pollution creating units including stone crushers, brick kilns, hot mix plants etc. in grass violation of the directions of High Court and Supreme Court and NGT. The authorities concerned had turned a blind eye to the same in view of the pressure of these powerful politicians running the unauthorized units.
Several Ministers and MLAs of the past have been directly involved in irregular practices in the Deptt of R&B, RDD, PDD, H&ME, Forests, H&UD etc. These unscrupulous leaders have been known to be abusing their position and authority to extract undue benefits and other illegitimate favours from officers and other govt functionaries. And until all such acts of omissions and commissions, bunglings, manipulations and embezzlements were probed and punished, the slogans of good and clean governance and accountability would remain a distant dream. The pertinent question therefore remains “why has the Accountability Commission been abolished”?
(The writer is former Education Minister & Chairman J&K National Panthers Party)
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