*Govt delaying prosecution sanction in corruption cases
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 1: A large number of complaints regarding malpractices in the Government offices and work sites have remained unaddressed in Jammu and Kashmir as State Vigilance Organization (SVO) has failed to conduct Joint Surprise Checks, the pendency of which is piling up continuously. On the other side, the Government is soft-paddling on sanctioning prosecution in corruption cases as a result of which erring officers and officials have remained unpunished.
The Government vide Circular Order No.GAD/12 dated May 26, 2003 has authorized the State Vigilance Organization to conduct surprise checks jointly with a representative of concerned department of Government offices/work sites against whom complaints of malpractices are received.
According to the official data, as on June 30, 2015, 74 Joint Surprise Checks required to be conducted into complaints of malpractices were pending with the State Vigilance Organization. During the period from July 2015 to December 2015, 40 more Joint Surprise Checks were authorized to the SVO so as to establish the guilt of those officers and officials, who were allegedly involved in malpractices.
Out of 114 Joint Surprise Checks, the Vigilance Organization conducted only 16 from July 2015 to December 2015 as a result of which the pendency increased to 98 at the end of December 2015 as compared to 74 in June 2015. This clearly indicates that generally complaints of malpractices in Government offices and work sites are not being taken to logical conclusion as guilt of the erring servants can only be established after carrying out of Joint Surprise checks.
Shockingly, no FIR was registered as a result of 16 Joint Surprise Checks while as in one Surprise Check the name of the erring Executive Engineer PMGSY was referred to Commissioner/ Secretary to Government, General Administration Department for regular departmental action against him.
“It is a matter of serious concern that instead of reducing the number of pending Joint Surprise Checks the Vigilance Organization is allowing the same to increase”, sources remarked.
Meanwhile, the State Government is soft-paddling on sanctioning prosecution of the officers and officials involved in the corruption cases.
This can be gauged from the report of the State Vigilance Organization, which was tabled in the State Legislature during the just concluded Budget Session.
As on June 30, 2015, prosecution sanction in 19 cases was awaited from the Government. From July 2015 to December 2015, the Vigilance Organization sent 19 more FIR cases to the Government/Competent Authority for accord of prosecution sanction thus raising the total number of FIR cases awaiting prosecution sanction to 38.
However, the Government accorded prosecution sanction in only 12 cases and left behind 26 cases.
The perusal of the report of the State Vigilance Organization reveals that Government wasted no time in according sanction to prosecute junior level officers like Patwari, Sub-Inspector of Police Department, Junior Assistant and Incharge Accounts Officer etc. However, as far as senior officers are concerned, the decision on the prosecution sanction is awaited since long.
In the much publicized Roshni Land Scam, the prosecution sanction of senior officers including IAS officer Hirdesh Kumar is awaited since April 2015. Similarly, the sanction to prosecute the then Minister Jagjeevan Lal in Disproportionate Assets case is awaited since September 26, 2013.
Similarly, prosecution sanction of erring officers in cases of illegal appointments, misappropriation of huge funds meant for developmental activities, abuse of official position to confer undue benefits and disproportionate assets are pending with the Government and Autonomous Bodies during the past quite long time.
“What is the fun of registering FIRs against the corrupt officers and officials if the action is to be scuttled by denying prosecution sanctions”, sources asked, adding “this trend is boosting the morale of the corrupt officers”.
“The inordinate delay in prosecution sanctions has also put a question mark on the intentions of the Government about rooting out the menace of the corruption”, sources regretted.
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