GAD, PHQ fail to implement SAC’s decision during past 6 months

Providing requisite manpower to newly set-up ACB Police Stns

Skeletal staff in prosecution, revenue, other wings also

Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 15: The General Administration Department (GAD) and Jammu and Kashmir Police Headquarters (PHQ) have failed to implement the decision of the State Administrative Council (SAC) about providing requisite manpower to the newly established Police Stations of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) so as to ensure their smooth functioning. Even no serious attention is being paid towards overcoming the dearth of staff in the important wings of the Bureau namely prosecution, revenue and accounts.
The State Administrative Council headed by Governor Satya Pal Malik in its meeting held on October 24, 2018 accorded approval to the establishment of full-fledged Anti-Corruption Bureau in the State on the ground that this step would do away with the shortcomings and multiplicity of roles in the existing anti-corruption mechanism.
It was revealed in the meeting that under Anti-Corruption Bureau six additional Police Stations would also be established in due course of time. Thereafter, the SAC in its meeting held on January 14, 2019 accorded sanction to the establishment of these Police Stations in a phased manner over a period of three financial years—2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21. Even sanction was accorded to the creation of 398 posts of different categories for these six additional Police Stations.
As per the mechanism evolved in the light of the decisions of the SAC, two Police Stations of ACB-one each at Doda and Anantnag were established and made operational during 2018-19 financial year. However, requisite manpower has not been placed at the disposal of these Police Stations till date although it was explicitly mentioned in the General Administration Department Order No.5-Vig dated January 21, 2019 that ACB Police Stations at Doda and Anantnag would have 65 personnel each that too from 2018-19 financial year onwards, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
“Due to non-availability of required manpower those at the helm of affairs in Doda and Anantnag Police Stations of ACB are finding it difficult to work effectively”, sources said, adding “since sanction has been accorded to the creation of 398 posts by the State Administrative Council the matter is required to be taken up with the recruiting agencies for new selections but in view of time consuming exercise internal arrangements should have been made till date for ensuring smooth functioning of newly established Police Stations”.
They disclosed that Anti-Corruption Bureau has taken up the issue of providing requisite manpower to the newly established Police Stations with the General Administration Department and Police Headquarters a number of times but all in vain.
“It seems that both GAD and PHQ want these new Police Stations to meet the fate of those Police Stations of ACB which are functioning with acute shortage of manpower during the past many years”, sources said, adding “the excuses of election duties and security arrangements for other events should not be allowed to create hurdles in sending required number of police personnel to the Anti-Corruption Bureau by the PHQ”.
Projecting dismal picture about other important wings of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, sources said, “the Bureau is also facing acute shortage of manpower in prosecution wing and the non-serious approach of the Government is notwithstanding the fact that in the absence of required number of highly capable prosecutors success cannot be achieved in improving the conviction rate under Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act”, sources said.
“Similarly, Anti-Corruption Bureau needs assistance of experts in handling the revenue and financial matters for speedy completion of investigation in fraud cases but there is also acute shortage of such persons in the Bureau”, sources further informed, adding “it is a matter of serious concern that the ACB is not being given all the required manpower particularly at a time when much hype is being created about fight against the menace of corruption”.
They hoped that Chief Secretary will intervene and ensure that required manpower is deputed in all the important wings of the Anti-Corruption Bureau so as to achieve the desired results in the fight against the menace of corruption in the State otherwise changing name of State Vigilance Organization to Anti-Corruption Bureau is not going to yield the results.
Despite repeated calls, there was no response from the Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

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