By Arfat Khan
JAMMU: The Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam deserves praise for daring to cross the border line in accusing the political class for rampant corruption in erstwhile J&K state under the garb of 370.
However, this bold accusations from the top most chair of administration echo back loudly in the corridors of power where half of the bureaucracy itself facing serious charges of corruption.
Ironically, the 370 which attributed as root cause of corruption by Home Minister during debate in Rajya Sabha on J&K Re-organisation Bill 2009.
But, the million dollar question still remains that despite it’s abrogation more than year ago who’s protecting tainted IAS officers by scuttling prosecution sanctions at General Administration Department level, aver sources.
Even to embolden acts of corruption some officers facing serious corruption charges manged re-posting on posts where FIRs were earlier registered against them.
Pointing reposting of Dr Yashpal Sharma who is commonly known as Mr 10 % in Pharma Industry as MD Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Limited, sources said “This is a gentle reminder for LG administration that in absence of corrupt minister who ordered re posting of a tainted officer on coveted post”
In 2018, the then SVO (ACB) raided the office of MD, JKMSCL and registered FIR No 22/2017 against Dr Yashpal and four officers besides one private entity for procurement of spurious drugs. Since, then ACB is sleeping over the investigation.
Similarly, While Kumar Rajiv Ranjan, IAS was placed under suspension in multi crore arms license scandal whereas several IAS officers which includes Yasha Mudgal and one senior IAS officer currently holding coveted post in civil secretariat besides dozen others were remain untouched despite their explicit role in whole sale issuance of arms licence on fabricated army documents during their stint as District Magistrate from time to time.
Branding political class as corrupt while sitting on files of alleged corruption cases against several IAS officers diminished the credibility of charges” avers senior IAS officer preferring anonymity.
For past one year, the J&K is governed by UT administration under the direct command of Home Ministry without any elected government, he added.
Then, who’s is to blame for shielding tainted bureaucrats facing serious corruption charges, added officer.
Even in case of Hirdesh Kumar , IAS who’s facing two FIRs in Roshni scam, instead of seeking prosecution sanction from DoPT, the whole matter was sorted at GAD level where in a shoddy way, the officer was given clean chit allegedly at the behest of the then CM Mehbooba Mufti.
Sources also alleged that name of Sudhanshu Pandey also figured in the Roshni scam for his alleged role in manipulating things to extend favour to influential persons in his capacity as Chairman of Price Fixation Committee in Roshni Scheme.
But, under pressure from GAD, the SVC deleted Pandey name from the FIR prepared by SVO, alleged ACB sources.
While investigation into several high profile cases of corruption involving several IAS and IPS officers are gathering dust in ACB due to undesired prolong investigation, there seems to be no intervention from the civil secretariat to ACB to shun lackaidiscal approach.
The case in point is Roshni scam wherein 17 FIRs were registered in 2014 but till date only challans were presented in 2 FIRs whereas the sanction for prosecution in three FIRs which includes one FIR against retired IAS officer Mehboob Iqbal and family who served as PHE Commissioner Secretary and Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir and is awaiting GAD Commissioner-Secretary attention since long.
Sources attributes this delay as part of match fixing between ACB and GAD in delaying the grant of prosecution approval. ” If the GAD fails to grant approval within two months, then as per Supreme Court directions, ACB can assume it as permission deemed granted and present the challan in court of law” added sources.
Surprisingly, the FIR in multi crore Gulmarg scam was registered in 2009 but ironically since then it has become a game of snake and ladder where on the name of reinvestigation every efforts are being made to save the influential officers involved which include Advisor to LG B.A. Khan, alleged ACB sources.
The Director ACB Anand Jain who recently decorated with Honesty Medal now have bigger role to play in concluding all prolong investigations involving bureaucrats and influential persons as the state in the near future possibly not going to be governed by Political Masters.
Is it not worth bonus with Medal of Honesty’ ?