Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 22: Expressing concern over growing culture of corruption in the State, Harsh Dev Singh, chairman JKNPP and former Minister, today appealed the Chief Minister to strengthen the anti graft bodies including SAC, SVC and SIC in conformity with her slogans of bringing accountability and transparency in Government functioning.
He said that the deep rooted culture of patronized corruption was fast spreading its tentacles and had plagued the entire system in the absence of an effective control mechanism.
The JKNPP leader was addressing public meetings in Thial and Manwal towns of Ramnagar constituency.
Harsh Dev 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. “The transfers which were supposed to be made in the interest of administration, were affected on monetary and other extraneous considerations and had created a lot of resentment amongst the general masses and govt. employees,” he alleged.
Calling for a probe into the transfer industry, which flourished in the recent past in the Deptts of Health, Education, Forest, Power, Revenue, PHE and Social Welfare particular, Singh called for the constitution of SIT to unearth the alleged extraneous considerations and violations of prescribed norms.
He also alleged plundering of funds by corrupt politicians in league with vested interests and unscrupulous Government functionaries. “During 2015-16, no development activity was visible on the ground in the Ramnagar constituency despite tall announcements of huge funds having been made available for various projects,” he said and added that even the routine maintenance grants meant for repairs, renovations etc nowhere seemed to have been utilized on the ground. He also alleged irregularities by the Power Development Department in Majalta and Ramnagar Tehsils. He said that money had been charged for replacement of damaged transformers in Panchayat Dhamma, Panchayat Sundla, Panchayat Chiani, Panchayat Rassain, Panchayat Satrairi and the Deptt had refused to replace the three damaged transformers of Panchayat Garh Samnabhanj for the last two months till the affected population paid the transport charges to PDD.
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