Ishtiyaq Kar
Srinagar, Aug 01 (KNS): Acting tough against corruption, Jammu & Kashmir’s premier anti-graft body, Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered around 270 corruption cases since 2020 in Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory.
The cases were against government officials for accepting bribes, their involvement in embezzlement of funds, Misappropriation of government funds without following guidelines, Illegal constructions, and other cases.
As per the official details available with news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS), the highest number of cases so far in the year 2023 has been registered at Police Station ACB Srinagar, details reveal, adding that 16 cases including demanding and accepting bribes, Illegal constructions, misuse of official position, Embezzlement of funds, and others have been filed at the police station in between February 2023- Aug 2023.
Simultaneously, 4 corruption cases have been registered at Police Station ACB Anantnag while 08 have been registered at Police Station ACB Baramulla so far in 2023.
At Police Station ACB Jammu, the sleuths of Jammu & Kashmir’s premier anti-graft body have registered 06 cases so far this year.
According to the details, with only one case, Police Station ACB Udampur has recorded the lowest number of corruption cases followed by Police Station ACB Doda where only two such cases have been registered so far.
The details reveal that 3 cases each have been reported at Police Station ACB Rajori.
An official told KNS that the anti-graft body has registered around 270 cases against corrupt officials for the last three years in Jammu and Kashmir.
Among them 71 and 61 cases were registered in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
He said that the Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered over 100 cases in 2022 against government officials for accepting bribes, their involvement in embezzlement of funds, Disproportionate assets, and other cases.
Officials said that keeping in view the 'zero tolerance’ for corruption, the Anti- Corruption Bureau has tightened the noose around corrupt officials.
Sources said that LG Manoj Sinha has directed the ACB and other anti graft agencies to take stern action against the corrupt officers and on the basis of complaints, identified the public dealing departments on which focus should be laid.
“The State Vigilance Organization (SVO) which was rechristened as Anti-Corruption Bureau, despite having sufficient evidence was unable to nail the big fishes in the old system due to the political pressure. Since the day J&K has been turned into Union Territory (UT) the ACB has started acting swiftly. Big shots, who used to believe that they are above the law and can get away with anything are facing the heat as the noose has been tightened around them,” said the sources.
The corrupt being nailed has sent a clear message down the line that no one will be spared. The ACB has even produced challans in old cases which were shelved due to political pressure or other reasons.
Sources said that the work culture in government offices is changing fast. “All the officials from top to bottom are aware of the fact that they are being watched. The ACB during the past few months has acted quickly on the complaints which were registered with it” sources maintained.
LG Manoj Sinha had asked the Anti-corruption bureau and other investigating agencies to adopt a policy of “Zero Tolerance” towards corruption in various fields of governance and implement the policy in letter and spirit, so that general masses also get to know that their day-to-day work can be done without giving bribes.
Since then ACB has nabbed several corrupt officials in the Union territory.
Sources said that the ACB and other Anti- graft agencies would be keeping strict vigil on government departments like Panchayat, Municipal Corporations, Municipal Committees, PWD, Revenue Department state owned corporations and all other enforcing government agencies where public dealing is more.
It is to mention here that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) unearthing many scams during the past few months has exposed the entire system.
“Many big guns have fallen in the ACB net and it appears that investigations are on to nail others also,” said sources.
According to KNS, the Director Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Anand Jain recently said the J&K Government's e-initiative has done wonders in bringing transparency in the system noting that the number of complaints has increased manifold with the use of technology by ACB since 2019.
He had said that after the use of technology by the ACB since 2019, the complaints have increased manifold because there are ample platforms available to lodge the complaint. "Whatsapp has been a powerful tool to get complaints on a real-time basis. To get a complaint on a real time basis regarding any corruption related issue is a very important thing for any ACB," he had said.
About the e-initiatives taken by the government, he had said for the NoCs for the government servants who have their promotions to be done, e-NoC portal was started and it was a helpful tool in giving vigilance clearance to the government servants.
"We are proud to say that the amount of vigilance clearance has increased 100 fold as we have issued 70000 vigilance clearances in a short period of time. This is only possible with the use of technology,"(KNS)