Dying soul of anti-corruption crusade

Though the incumbent central government claims that intensifying corruption in high places and low intensity development in Jammu & Kashmir had necessitated abrogation of article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two union territories but the government’s decisions over placement of tainted babus on key positions and relaxation in political activities of mainstream parties on selective basis dispute the very claims of the top leaders of the political party in power at the centre. Appointing an IAS officer of the commissioner secretary rank facing trial in a key land scam as advisor to Lieutenant Governor shows the central government’s seriousness against the corrupt and the corruption in Jammu & Kashmir. While the Jammu & Kashmir High Court on March 4 directed an ant-corruption court of Baramulla to explain its reasons for the “inordinate delay” in framing the charges against the accused in the Gulmarg land scam one of whom has been appointed as fourth advisor to Lieutenant Governor now, the Central Government without taking note of the observations of the J&K High Court choose to go ahead with its decision of appointing a key accused of the Gulmarg land scam as fourth advisor of Lieutenant Governor. Though the advisor to Lieutenant Government has to be an officer of the rank of Chief Secretary or Director General Police, but the past precedence and as well as the norms have been set aside to put the key accused of the Gulmarg land scam on the key position of advisor to Lieutenant Governor.
Amid inaction against the tainted babus the central government is selectively giving free political space to the political turn coats who were part of the tainted popular government’s in yesteryears. So the central government has reduced it’s anti-corruption crusade just to politics of witch hunt.
Interestingly years back Jammu & Kashmir High Court had asked the government not to put the key accused of the Gulmarg land scam on any sensitive position but he held the position of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir for over two years and has been appointed as the fourth advisor of the Lieutenant Governor now when the high court has expressed it’s anguish over “inordinate delay” in framing charges against him and the other accused. The central government has not shut it’s eye only over the observations of the J&K High Court against one of the key accused of the Gulmarg land scam but it also does not tend to take any action against the incumbent Chairman Jammu & Kashmir Cooperative Bank recently booked for allegedly sanctioning a loan of Rs 223 crores to a non-existent co-operative society. Action is also awaited against two top IAS officers named accused in the Roshni land scam in Jammu and interestingly one of them holds a key position in the Jammu & Kashmir Government and the other one is occupying a plum position in the central government. The Government is opening up new cases of corruption against the key affiliations of former ministers and legislators but does not dare to fast track the investigation against the tainted babus named key accused in several key corruption cases. Amid inaction against the tainted babus the central government is selectively giving free political space to the political turn coats who were part of the tainted popular government’s in yesteryears. So the central government has reduced it’s anti-corruption crusade just to politics of witch hunt.