It may be recalled that former Governor of then state of Jammu and Kashmir Satya Pal Malik had made it public that to ”clear” two files, an offer of Rs.150 Crore was made to him for each file thus in total, a huge sum of Rs.300 crore, was going to be at stake . According to him, the concerned files pertained to two big industrial houses but he had spurned the offer saying that “he cancelled the deals”. Not only he said about the offer of money to him as consideration for according sanction to the two files but even which government official holding which position had come up with such an offer. Malik who was appointed the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in 2018 and remained in office till late 2019 and was transferred to Goa and later to Meghalaya, did not stop at this, he continued to repeat about this incident many a time at various forums even when he was no longer the Governor of the then state of Jammu and Kashmir but holding the gubernatorial position of other states too. He even made no bones about giving the details about the files which according to him related to Ambani Group and the other to an RSS affiliated man respectively .
In this connection, UT government of Jammu and Kashmir has now recommended for a thorough probe by the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) into the allegations of the then Governor especially in the light of his oft repeated stance about it. We feel that it is a right step taken in the right earnest so as to clear the mist all about such allegations so that the ends of justice as demanded herein, were fully met. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, in this connection, expecting that the ”probe will make everything crystal clear” is the due response to such a serious matter. So far, so good – but a few questions do arise which need to be asked and known about for future guidance and the requisite action which such type of cases demanded to be taken at the spur of the moment. The post of the Governor is a high constitutional post enjoined upon the incumbent to maintain highest degree of dignity, probity and transparency in his or her functioning strictly in accordance to the provisions of the constitution and when discharging duties as the Head of the government under a tenure of President’s Rule and running administration , the Governor’s duties only get profoundly wider and intimate with the governing apparatus . In other words, one should be conscious of what one says in the open and that too repeatedly as also when it is a matter of sensitivity that of an offer of corruption and by such a high office holder.
Why did he not get the concerned Secretary, who according to him, was a conduit pressed into striking a deal ,arrested on the spot preceded by placing his services under suspension and made to spell the beans to nip such evils eroding the system in the bud? Why did he not immediately arrange refer the matter to the then state Police and have an FIR registered along with rejecting the files even blacklisting the said ”big industrial house” for any entry into any business deals in the state? Holding administrative and even legislative powers , the then State Governor wielded tremendous powers and he could have taken a stern action under Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 and other laws so as to prove a deterrent and set a precedent instead of choosing only going public .
When the matter is concerning corruption , it assumes all the importance and urgency to attend to it to be taken to logical ends instead of merely talking about it repeatedly. That is what Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has felt that “anyone sitting on such a high post has said anything like this, then it must be probed”. Let the probe be held at the earliest so as to know the extent of the truth not only about the allegation of such a serious nature having been made by a state Governor and that too repeatedly but also get a feel of the extent of corruption having made inroads into the governing system to such an extent and up to such high levels in Jammu and Kashmir. The matter is really serious.
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