Universities, Hill Councils, PSUs, J&K Bank asked to change bye-laws, AoAs
Finance Deptt approval made imperative on many aspects
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 5: In a major administrative reform, Governor’s Administration has issued detailed guidelines to ensure much-needed transparency and accountability in the functioning of all the Government aided Public Sector Undertakings, Autonomous Bodies like Universities and Hill Councils, several banks, Municipal Corporations and Development Authorities.
Moreover, all the PSUs, Autonomous Bodies and Societies have been directed to undertake changes in the bye-laws, regulations and Articles of Associations (AoAs) as early as possible so as to ensure smooth implementation of the guidelines.
The objective behind these guidelines is to ensure judicious use of resources of PSUs, Autonomous Bodies and Societies and utmost transparency at every level-be it recruitment, filling vacant posts, procurement and allotment of contracts for developmental works etc.
Jammu and Kashmir Bank, all the Corporations, Cooperative Banks, Development Authorities, Municipal Corporations for the capital cities, Universities of Kashmir and Jammu, Agriculture Universities, Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil, School Education Board and Board of Professional Entrance Examination are among over 55 premier institutions which have been brought under the ambit of the guidelines.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR during the past some months Governor’s Secretariat and Chief Secretary’s office were receiving numerous complaints about lack of transparency and accountability in the functioning of majority of the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), Autonomous Bodies and Societies in the State.
Numerous instances also came to the notice of the Governor’s Administration particularly from the official circles about plunder of resources by those who remained at the helm of affairs in the PSUs, Autonomous Bodies and Societies at the behest of the politicians.
Even Advisors to the Governor, while reviewing the functioning of these PSUs and Societies since the imposition of Governor’s Rule, have come to know that mandatory internal audits and proper maintenance of accounts never received due attention of those who remained at the helm of affairs in these bodies for obvious reasons although these aspects were repeatedly highlighted in the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
The situation was so worst in some of the Public Sector Undertakings like SIDCO and SICOP and most of the Boards that under the garb of powers conferred by bye-laws and regulations large number of persons were engaged purely on the instructions of the politicians, sources said.
Moreover, majority of the PSUs and Autonomous Bodies were resorting to procurements of goods and services without following any transparent procedure with the sole objective of conferring undue benefit upon the choicest persons and drawing financial gains out of such deals, sources further said, adding even some of the Corporations like Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation were making allotment of the works without inviting tenders.
Based on these and other inputs, the Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam got a memorandum about streamlining the functioning of all the PSUs, Autonomous Bodies and Societies prepared and the same was placed before the State Administrative Council (SAC) in its meeting held on July 3, 2019.
The State Administrative Council headed by Governor Satya Pal Malik cleared the proposal vide Decision No.155/17.
Now, Financial Commissioner Finance Department Dr Arun Kumar Mehta has directed that no procurement of goods and services shall be made by the Public Sector Undertakings, Autonomous Bodies and Societies aided by the State Government without following a transparent bidding process.
“No contract shall be awarded in PSUs, Autonomous Bodies and Societies without following a transparent bidding process and no new post shall be created without the prior concurrence of the Finance Department”, reads the Government Order No.377-F dated July 4, 2019.
The order further read: “No recruitment against vacant posts shall be made by the PSUs, Autonomous Bodies and Societies without the prior concurrence of the Finance Department. Moreover, no recruitment shall be made without following a transparent and due process including advertisements inviting applications from eligible candidates irrespective of class of the posts”.
The Government has directed all the PSUs, Autonomous Bodies and Societies to undertake the changes as may be required in their bye-laws, regulations and Articles of Associations with the approval of competent authority in the light of fresh guidelines. All these directions have come into effect with immediate effect.
The PSUs, Autonomous Bodies and Societies which fall under the purview of latest directions, are J&K Bank, J&K Industries, Handicrafts (S&E) Corporation, State Industrial Development Corporation, Handloom Development Corporation, J&K Minerals Limited, SICOP, State Road Transport Corporation, Agro Industries, Horticulture Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation, State Women Development Corporation, SC/ST/OBC Development Corporation, Tourism Development Corporation, State Cable Car Corporation, State Projects Construction Corporation Ltd, Power Development Corporation, Police Housing Corporation, State Financial Corporation, State Forest Corporation, Cooperative Housing Corporation, Wool Board, State Cooperative Bank Srinagar, Jammu Central Cooperative Bank, Baramulla Central Cooperative Bank, Anantnag Central Cooperative Bank, Kashmir Merchantile Cooperative Bank, Citizens Cooperative Bank Jammu, Devika Urban Cooperative Bank, Jammu Development Authority, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Jammu Municipal Corporation, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil, SKUAST-J/K, J&K Provident Fund Organization, State Pollution Control Board, Lakes and Waterways Development Authority, Srinagar Development Authority, State Social Welfare Board, State Sports Council, SKICC-Srinagar, State Housing Board, J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, University of Jammu, University of Kashmir, Khadi and Village Industries Board, State Board of School Education and BOPEE etc.
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