Srinagar: Opposition Peoples Democratic Party
on Thursday expressed concern over Omar Abdullah-led government's
"systematic demolition" of institutions set-up for curbing
corruption and bringing transparency in the administration.
Commenting on the ongoing country wide protests against
corruption and for the Lokpal legislation, PDP president
Mehbooba Mufti said it only brought home the fact that people
would no longer stand as mute spectators to the subversion of
institutions and plunder of national wealth.
She said the instant appeal that the Anna Hazare
initiative has conveyed to different sections of the society,
should make the political class respond with urgency and
purpose to the "monster" of corruption that has unfortunately
become a dominant feature of public life.
"Jammu and Kashmir cannot remain isolated from the
happenings at the national level and it is time that the state
government did something better than just talking about
rooting out corruption," she said.
She said even as Jammu and Kashmir was faced with
more serious problems like political uncertainty, human rights
crisis and developmental issues, the present coalition was
busy patronising and practicing corruption in all forms.
Mehbooba said Jammu and Kashmir had introduced a
legislation way back in 2003 in the shape of a State
Accountability Commission (SAC) that is empowered to look into
complaints against public figures including ministers and the
Chief Minister.
"This pioneering Act which is state equivalent of a
Lokpal and provides even to punish the guilty. However, it
has been made defunct by the present government," she alleged.
The PDP president said for the last two years, the
Accountability Commission is completely non-existent after the
last acting chairman completed his term.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, April 07, 2011, 20:53