The SAC which earlier was established to ensure transparent mechanism in Jammu and Kashmir is not functioning at all. There were the reports which surprised everyone about how SAC has not even taken a single action from the last three years, giving the notion about how state at present has been left in shambles by the successive regimes. On the other hand, more than six crore, thirty lakhs rupees was the expenditure borne by the Jammu and Kashmir State Accountability Commission (JKSAC) during the past five years.
During the year 2010-11, more than 85 lakh rupees were spent on the anti graft body by the state dispensation. One crore and seventy three lakhs were spent by the JKSAC a year later in 2011-12. More than two crores were spent in 2012-13. During 2013-14, the state dispensation revealed that the expenditure borne overt the functioning of SAC. Interesting to mention that that Governor NN Vohra raised pitch in the year 2011 to strengthen the SAC but the state Government remained unmoved even over appointing the second member.
SAC could not take the suo-moto cognizance of any issue due to failure of the state government to empower it. The High Court here had held that the anti- corruption watchdog cannot exercise suo- moto powers in absence of inherent powers. As the present government here continues to beat the trumpet of ensuring a transparent mechanism in the overall functioning of the state, it has done little to equip the already neglected SAC with more powers. So far, there has been no measure taken to accord a prosecuting agency along with the investigative wing to this anti-graft body.
Its recently appointed chairperson has also threatened to bid adieu to the past if government continues to remain inactive over the measures that are needed to be taken on war footing basis. What remains to be seen is how this new government which sought votes from general masses for launching a crusade against corruption would strengthen the SAC.
Editor in Chief