Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 16: Shocking it may sound but it is a harsh reality that J&K, which has been rated as one of the most corrupt State in the country, is fighting this deep-rooted menace with ‘feeble limb’. This can be gauged from the man power made available at the disposal of the State’s main anti-graft body—Vigilance Organization.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that State Vigilance Organization, which is the premier agency of the State Government to fight and uproot the menace of corruption, has failed to receive due attention of the successive State Governments so far as strengthening it by way of providing adequate manpower is concerned.
The non-serious approach towards the Vigilance Organization is notwithstanding sharp increase in the level of corruption during the past some years. “By ignoring the necessity of making this anti-graft body strong enough, the successive Governments only exhibited half-hearted approach in fighting the corruption with iron hands”, sources regretted.
The intensity of insensitivity can be gauged from the fact that sanctioned staff strength of Vigilance Organization has not been reviewed during the past nearly two decades for unknown reasons despite repeated requests from the successive heads of this organization.
Out of total 211sanctioned strength of executive wing of the State Vigilance Organization, there are only 68 Investigating Officers (55 Inspectors—27 in Jammu region and 28 in Kashmir valley and 13 Deputy Superintendents of Police-five each in Jammu and Kashmir regions and three in the administrative offices). Similarly, there are only eight Superintendents of Police (three each in Kashmir and Jammu provinces and two in the administrative offices).
However, the volume of cases is on continuous rise during the past some years. As against around 50 cases being registered every year in the past, the number at present has gone to around 80 fresh cases every year, sources informed while disclosing that the sanctioned strength of staff in the executive wing of the State Vigilance Organization is almost one-third of the actual requirement as at present.
Stating that shortage of Investigation Officers is the matter of serious concern for those at the helm of affairs in the State Vigilance Organization, sources said that in each trap case at least two IOs of the rank of DySPs are required-one at pre-trap stage and another at post-trap stage and how much impact the shortage of IOs is leaving on the cases can be easily presumed.
They further disclosed that State Vigilance Organization is also handling thousands of complaints being received from various departments every year, which subsequently result into either registration of cases under J&K Prevention of Corruption Act or recommendation of departmental action.
During first six months of last year, a total of 1327 complaints were referred by various departments to the State Vigilance Organization and this number was 1448 during last six months of 2013 year. From these figures, it can be easily presumed that more than 2000 complaints are required to be handled by the State Vigilance Organization every year, sources said. Moreover, the organization is entrusted with the task of conducting joint inspections with other departments on the basis of complaints vis-à-vis developmental works.
Though Governor, while taking serious note of State Vigilance Organization remaining under-staffed, had recently directed the General Administration Department to initiate steps for cadre review of the SVO but apprehensions are still expressed over completion of this exercise in time bound manner, sources said.
As per the procedure required to be followed in this regard, General Administration Department will have to constitute a committee comprising Administrative Secretaries of many key departments particularly Planning and Finance and this vital step has not been initiated till date.
In such a situation, how the menace of corruption can be effectively tackled remains a million dollar question.
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