SrinagarThe State Accountability Commission (JKSAC) hasnt issued its annual report since 2012, raising questions about its authority and integrity as a vital anti-graft body of the state.
Commissions official website http://jksac.nic.in reveals that last annual report published by the anti-graft body was during the financial year of 2011-12. Since then, no report has been published that could have revealed the functions of the commission and actions that it has taken against the affluent.
The State Accountability Commission had been constituted under the Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission Act-2002 to inquire into grievances and allegations against public functionaries and for matter connected therewith Under the Act, the Commission should consist of a chairperson and two members. The first chairperson of JKSAC was Justice R.P Sethi, a retired judge of the Supreme Court.
On the other hand, more than Rs six crore, thirty lakh were the expenditure borne by the Jammu and Kashmir State Accountability Commission (JKSAC) during the past five years. During the year 2010-11, more than Rs 85 lakh rupees were spent on the anti graft body by the state dispensation Rs one crore and seventy three lakhs were spent by the JKSAC a year later in 2011-12. More than Rs two crore 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 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. (KNS)
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