Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 31: Expressing grave concern over the mushrooming growth of corruption in the State, NPP chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh today appealed to the Chief Minister to activate, strengthen and effectively empower the anti- graft bodies including SAC, SVC and SIC in conformity with her slogans of bringing accountability and transparency in the Government functioning.
Talking to media-persons here today, Harsh Dev lamented that the deep rooted culture of patronized corruption was fast spreading its tentacles and had engulfed the entire system like bubonic plague. He said that most alarming aspect was not the money exchanging hands in the unwholesome bargains but the open defiance of norms and procedures, fearlessness and audacity displayed by corrupt elements in executing such illegal bargains.
Alleging blatant disregard for the much trumpted slogans of “good governance” and “transparency”, Harsh Dev said that the recent past witnessed a mad race amongst various ministries for effecting transfers of Government functionaries without having any regard for the aptitude, efficiency or suitability of the incumbents. He said that thousands of transfers effected in the most arbitrary and clandestine manner had exposed the ministers besides MLAs who recommended such transfers and had exploded the myth of good governance.
Calling for a probe into the transfer Industry which flourished in the recent past in the Departments of Education, Health, Forest, Power, PHE and Rural Development, Singh called for the constitution of SIT to unearth the alleged extraneous considerations and violations of prescribed norms. He said premature transfers running into several thousands in the said departments in violation of transfer policy and stipulated norms had beaten all previous records of whimsical transfers and needed due cognizance of the Chief Minister.
Harsh Dev expressed grave concern over the open plunder of funds by unscrupulous officers in R&B and PMGSY in collusion with corrupt politicians in the name of repairs, restoration and maintenance without any tangible work executed on the ground. He said that allotment of contracts without tenders and departmental approvals for works costing crores, had blown the lid off the Govt’s tall claims of “good governance” and “corruption free dispensation”.
Follow our WhatsApp channel