SVO receives over 3128 complaints in one year
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 26: Indicating that level of corruption in the Government departments is still a matter of serious concern and the tall claims of the ruling coalition about this menace showing declining trend are far from the truth, State Vigilance Organization has received 3128 corruption related complaints during the past one year. The maximum complaints were received against the officers/officials of the Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Education and Rural Development Departments thereby conveying that corruption is at its peak in these departments.
According to the half-yearly reports of the Vigilance Organization, which were tabled in the Legislative Assembly by the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Mir Saifullah, on behalf of the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, a total of 1680 complaints were received by the Vigilance Organization during the period between January 1, 2013 to June 30, 2013 and 1448 complaints were received during the period between July 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013.
These reports are submitted by the Vigilance Organization in compliance to Section 9(A) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act, 2006. It is for the first time that latest reports of the Vigilance Organization were tabled in the Legislature.
The data reveals that maximum complaints were received against the officers/officials of the Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Education and Rural Development Departments thereby indicating that these are the most corrupt departments in Jammu and Kashmir.
Revenue Department tops the list of complaints received by the Vigilance Organization during the year 2013 with 524 complaints followed by Education Department with 385 complaints and Rural Development Department with 362 complaints.
According to the data, there is hardly any Government department where the corruption has not made inroads although number of complaints in respect of departments other than Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Education and Rural Development Department is far less.
A total of 209 corruption related complaints were received against the Police Department during the year 2013 while as 161 complaints were received against the Health Department and 151 against the Public Works Department.
Similarly, a total of 130 corruption related complaints were received against the PHE Department while as number of complaints in respect of Forest/Social Forestry was 129. A total of 107 complaints were received against the Power Development Department while as 128 against the Municipalities and 77 against the Social Welfare Department.
Of the total 3128 complaints received by the Vigilance Organization during the year 2013, 1784 complaints, which include 1010 against the Gazettted Officers and 652 against non-gazetted officers were referred for departmental verification. Astonishingly reports in respect of only 224 complaints were received by the Vigilance Organization from the concerned departments thereby indicating the level of will in the Government departments to fight this menace.
Notwithstanding the highest complaints against their officers and officials, the response to the complaints referred by the Vigilance Organization for departmental verification was very discouraging in respect of Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Education, Rural Development and Police Departments.
Out of total 335 complaints referred for departmental verification, the Revenue Department furnished reports in respect of only 24 complaints. Similarly, out of 234 complaints referred by Vigilance, School Education Department submitted reports in respect of only 24 complaints. Likewise, out of 235 and 139 complaints respectively, the Rural Development and Police Departments furnished reports in respect of only 37 and 25 complaints respectively.
This clearly indicates that despite huge number of complaints against their officers these departments were not ready to timely furnish the verification reports.
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