Highest anti-corruption body reeling under shortage of IOs, others
Proposal to grant Spl Investigation Allowance gathering dust
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 5: Though nearly three months have lapsed since the State Administrative Council changed the nomenclature of State Vigilance Organization (SVO) as Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) yet neither additional manpower nor as per the already sanctioned strength has been placed at the disposal of the highest anti-corruption body.
Moreover, a proposal to grant Special Investigation Allowance to officials of the Anti-Corruption Bureau on the pattern of Central Investigating Agencies is gathering dust in the General Administration Department during the past quite long time.
On October 24, 2018, the State Administrative Council headed by Governor Satya Pal Malik approved setting up of Anti-Corruption Bureau for tackling the menace of corruption in more effective and meaningful manner.
Thereafter, the Governor amended Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act, 2006 and Jammu and Kashmir State Vigilance Commission Act, 2011 to formally establish Anti-Corruption Bureau in the State.
Even directions were issued for immediate setting up of six new Police Stations under Anti-Corruption Bureau unlike State Vigilance Organization which had only two Police Stations—one each at Jammu and Srinagar.
Moreover, instructions were passed to the concerned authorities for making available sufficient manpower required to ensure smooth functioning of not only six new but existing two Police Stations also.
However, despite lapse of nearly three months neither additional manpower nor as per the already sanctioned strength has been placed at the disposal of the Anti-Corruption Bureau without which the Bureau will meet the fate of State Vigilance Organization, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
“The Anti-Corruption Bureau is still working with one-third of the sanctioned manpower although workload has already increased enormously keeping in view the deep-rooted menace of corruption in the State”, sources further said, adding “almost all the Branch SSPs of the ACB are working with far less than the sanctioned strength”.
They further said, “the intensity of the manpower shortage can be gauged from the fact that each Branch SSP having jurisdiction over three to four districts is working with police personnel less than the number of cops deployed in any Police Station of Executive Police”, adding “due to this the Branch SSPs are compelled to approach each other for requisite manpower especially when raids and searches are required to be conducted at various places simultaneously”.
“The problem is mainly at the level of Investigating Officers (IOs) and majority of the IOs even don’t have supporting staff particularly computer knowing persons”, sources further said while disclosing that even posts of Inspector General and Deputy Inspector General in the Anti-Corruption Bureau (previously State Vigilance Organization) have been lying vacant during the past quite long time.
They further said, “merely change in the nomenclature is not going to help in tackling the menace of corruption in more effective and meaningful manner as after all it is the manpower which has to achieve the objective behind the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act”, adding “overcoming the already existing shortage and deployment of additional manpower was not a difficult task to be executed during the past nearly three months and the issue could have been resolved in one meeting between the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary Home Department and Administrative Secretary of the General Administration Department”.
Unless sufficient manpower is placed at the disposal of the Anti-Corruption Bureau new Police Stations cannot be made functional. Each new Police Station will have jurisdiction over Udhampur-Reasi districts, Rajouri-Poonch districts, Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban districts, Anantnag-Pulwama-Kulgam-Shopian districts and Baramulla-Kupwara-Bandipora-Ganderbal districts.
It is pertinent to mention here that following formal establishment of new Police Stations the existing Police Station of Jammu will have jurisdiction over Jammu-Samba-Kathua districts while as the Police Station of Srinagar will have jurisdiction over Srinagar-Budgam-Leh-Kargil districts.
Moreover, a proposal regarding grant of Special Investigation Allowance to those deployed in the Anti-Corruption Bureau on the pattern of Central Investigating Agencies is gathering dust in the General Administration Department, sources said.
“Unless this allowance is granted nobody from the Jammu and Kashmir Police would be interested to either come to the Anti-Corruption Bureau or continue in the Bureau for a long period”, sources further said, adding “if the Government really wants to strengthen the highest anti-corruption body it should place sufficient manpower at the disposal of Anti-Corruption Bureau and clear the proposal regarding Special Investigation Allowance at the earliest”.
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