Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 26: All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC), an organization dedicated to the welfare of the rural population and the strengthening of grassroots democracy in Jammu and Kashmir, has criticised the JKUT administration for its Circular No. 14 issued recently.
Panchayat Conference has called on the Government of India to intervene and direct the Lieutenant Governor and Chief Secretary of J&K to rescind Circular No. 14, issued by the Jammu and Kashmir General Administration Department on 20 June 2024. The circular appears to protect corrupt and tainted officers while intimidating citizens and the Press from speaking out against corruption within Government departments.
Anil Sharma, president of AJKPC, accused the current regime of the J&K Union Territory of fearing transparency and accountability.
He stated that this fear prompted the issuance of the circular, which authorizes officers to file criminal cases against civilians whose complaints are deemed baseless. Additionally, citizens could face actions by the Crime Branch and be required to compensate accused officers if their complaints are unsuccessful.
AJKPC president questioned, “How can an ordinary citizen from a vulnerable section of society in a remote area stand against the powerful state and its mechanism? No citizen would dare to file a corruption case against an officer under such circumstances.”
It is worth noting that Circular No. JK-14 also includes provisions for offering free legal aid to accused officers and seeks to suppress the Press by threatening to withdraw government advertisements and cancel the licenses of accreditation of the newspapers/ newspersons that report issue of corrupt officers.
He emphasized that this move is intended to silence those who speak out against corrupt bureaucracy and deliberately issued instead of enhancing accountability mechanisms.
Sharma criticized the LG administration for its efforts to intimidate ordinary citizens and the press from raising concerns about corruption. He also expressed disappointment at the lack of response from political parties both local and national level, on this serious issue.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel