Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 18 : People’s Democratic Party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has said by justifying corruption on the pretext of coalition politics the Chief Minister seems to be offering a license to politicians and civil servants.
Addressing a public meeting at Sangrama in Baramulla district, Mufti said it is not just displaying signs of surrender on anti-corruption front but it amounts to creating a space within the political system for wrong doing and immunity against mal-practices.
Senior party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig, party general secretary Mohammad Dilawar Mir, MLAs Mansoor Hussain and Basharat Bukhari were also present and spoke on this occasion.
Mufti said blaming corruption on coalition politics is without logic as there have been good examples of Coalition Governments providing clean administration which are being admired universally. He said even in Jammu & Kashmir the previous PDP-Congress coalition had scripted a success story in administration inspite of very difficult circumstances at a time when militancy was still on and the political system had just started reasserting it self.
He said numerous new initiatives had been taken by the previous coalition which has provided foundation for a new political culture and developmental environment. He said all the regions of the State had for the first time enjoyed political empowerment and participation in governance and decision making. But, unfortunately those initiatives have been wasted as a result of lack of political direction and seriousness in governance.
He said one of the main reason for corruption is lack of monitoring at the leadership level which results in delay in execution and siphoning of funds meant for development. He said the money that goes into private pockets is actually people’s resources which is meant for providing amenities like power, roads, water, health , education etc.
Mufti said the present Government has virtually demolished all anti-corruption agencies by initially delaying their constitution and later diluting their jurisdiction. He said it was for the Chief Minister as leader of the coalition to set examples of probity by submitting to scrutiny by institutions like State Accountability Commission (SAC). But instead of doing that the Chief Minister stopped the proceeding against him by getting a stay order from the court on technical reasons.
Similarly, the rules governing the State Information Commission (SIC) were diluted to make the Commission ineffective which virtually takes away the right to information which had been secured by the people of state after a long delay. The State Vigilance Commission (SVC) and Vigilance Department are completely defunct for the last four years, Mufti said.
Mufti said the initiatives taken by the PDP led Government had triggered a revolution in rural economy through significant systemic interventions. He said the abolition of toll tax and establishment of local fruit markets in the State had led to sharp increase in horticulture returns and made the industry remunerative for the farmers once again. He, however, regretted that the present Government had failed to carry the process forward and that the proposal for a cold storage system at various places in Kashmir had been shelved.
Expressing concern over the inability of the Government to utilize developmental funds, Mufti said the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) had repeatedly pointed out lapses and instances of corruption in most of the schemes as a result of this the Government has become a nightmare for the common man. He said the Government had failed on all fronts and it was a matter of shame that Central funds allocated to J&K were now diverted to north Eastern States because of our inability to spend.
The unlimited funds available for universalization of education could have transformed the state into the most developed human resource bank but the Government’s inability to utilize them had resulted in huge setback to the schemes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Sakhshar Bharat, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, senior party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig said the present Government had converted corruption into broad day dacoity with most ruling politicians facing serious charges of involvement in murder, fraud, nepotism and land grabbing. This had resulted in a unique situation in which nobody was in a position to question the other, he said, adding they had now found safety in coming to each other’s rescue in times of need.
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