Government is determined to stamp out corruption from the administrative set up. This is the purpose of setting up the Vigilance Organization and taking several other institutional steps in this direction. When we look at it on national plane, we find a sudden downslide in country’s moral values. It is shocking because we never expected the society to forget the great values for which our renowned leaders stood while they were fighting freedom struggle.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has been carrying a campaign against corruption. We know some people among the administrative and political echelons would not be happy with his mission against corruption because they have the vested interest. They will also try to create impediments in the way. But given the iron will of the CM and support by the people at large in his endeavours of providing clean and good governance, the effort of exposing the malefactors will ultimately succeed. In response to a question asked in the ongoing session of the assembly, the Chief Minister said that as many as 10 serving officers including three IAS and one IFS have been facing corruption charges while as seven are facing trial in the courts of Special Judge Anti-Corruption. Moreover, 31 employees have been convicted by the courts for their involvement in the corrupt practices during the past three years. The names of officers indicted along with the departments to which they belong have come in the press and we need not to name them in these columns. What is highly disturbing is that the indicted officers have been positioned at very responsible places of public services. Indictment of seven KAS officers, three IAS officers and one IFS officer is not to be taken too simplistically. It indicates that the cancer of corruption is not limited to lower rungs of civil administration only as is generally believed.
The law has to come down with a heavy hand on defaulters. The Chief Minister will find general public opinion lending all out support to corrective measures. The indicted officials are given full opportunity of defending themselves before the competent authority. This means that no arbitrary action will be taken against them. Judicial system is in place and the State will do all possible not to involve the innocent.
It has also to be remembered that just prosecuting and punishing the defaulters is not enough. If it is proved that they have looted the public exchequer through fraudulent methods and invested the illegally acquired wealth in raising properties, then undoubtedly such properties should be confiscated because these have been raised after stealing the money that belongs to the people in the shape of taxes paid to the Government. People have been demanding exemplary action against the defaulters so that everybody comes to know that the law does not spare anybody for any crime. We want to get rid of the contagion of corruption in our administrative configuration. Nothing should be allowed to arrest the progress ad forward march of the state.
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