Jammu, January 31 (Scoop News) – Expressing strong resentment against the growing graph of corruption in the state, CPI (M) State Secretary & MLA Kulgam, M.Y. Tarigami has said that the menace in its various manifestations is hampering the implementation of welfare programmes and making the delivery system in-effective.
In a statement Tarigami said that none of the powers in the state so far has dared to annihilate corruption and give a clean and credible administration to its people, though keeping the same on the top of their agendas during elections.
Tarigami said that a nexus between the political set up and the bureaucracy was encouraging the corrupt practices and victimizing the interests of common man. To break this nexus, a strong stride was imperative through effective implementation of Anti-Corruption and Right to Information Acts, which could also help to contain the red tapeism and bribe to a greater extent. Voices have been raising from every corner against corruption but least has been done in practical terms, he elaborated and said that assessment of assets possessed by the politicians especially former and present ministers, legislators and bureaucrats should be done to ascertain illegal accumulation of wealth by the corrupt elements in the society. He said that lack of a strong will to eradicate corruption by the power enjoyers was provoking a feeling of scot freeness among the corrupts at different ranks and files.
Headless State Accountability Commission has become questionable, the CPI(M) held and demanded immediate appointment of its Chairman and conferring status of a Commission to the State Vigilance Organizations as announced by the present government. The State Government should also initiate for immediate reforms in police and civil administration, the important one among them is adoption of a transparent and time bound transfer policy. Enjoying choice postings and that too beyond the prescribed tenures by the bureaucrats and field functionaries was crating suitable environment for corruption, this trend must go and those with clean integrity should get appreciated.
Given the magnitude of corruption in the state, the figure work of booked and challaned corrupts was not appreciable, the CPI(M) State Secretary maintained and said that most cases stand charged against the lowest rung officials. He said that intensified drive against the corrupts be carried from top to bottom and vice-versa so that patronage from high ups and support from the lowest level for corrupt practices is done away with. Even brokers have taken a front seat in some most corruption prone departments who settle deals of illegal give and take between the officials and the justice seekers. Self and social auditing should commensurate the practical measures at government level to discourage the menace of corruption that is heading for its institutionalization.
If the trend heads further the state is sure to be tagged as number one corrupt state, Tarigami apprehended and said that the government should wake up from deep slumber to wipe out corruption. Compromise at political level can defeat the strides against corruption and discredit the political and democratic set ups, he added.