Not withstanding the existing institutional mechanism in J&K, the battle against corruption is getting murkier. Corruption is indulged in more innovatively. Though media is somehow managing to report whatever is possibly printable, the actions of the state are not so encouraging. Last week a newspaper from Jammu published about an “intellectual” minister flying cash through a very innovative official system from Srinagar to Jammu.
It ruffled no feathers in the coalition government. Ignoring such issues is the new norm in India’s most sensitive state. While people within and outside the government are happily discussing how corruption is an extension of politics and how it has historically been used to breed opportunists, who can deliver anything for money, there has not been any effort to fight it. At one point of time, J&K had a very harsh anti-corruption system. It was gradually diluted as fighting corruption became a larger business and would require many organisations. As the State Vigilance Organization could not touch anybody in politics, the State Accountability Commission was conceptualised. It remained headless for sometime and once it was revived and it started dusting the old cases against politicians. It was served stay orders from the high court immobilising the institution.
For the reasons of up-gradation and autonomy, the SVO was supposed to be a full-fledged commission. The government nominated former state police chief to head it but the opposition is not happy alleging that he faced serious cases involving extrajudicial killings. The government is apparently not interested to send any other person for fighting corruption. As the government is battling to have its corruption watchdogs in place, the society is facing the music. This despite a set of legislations that empower citizens to seek information about issues and events and delivery of services the established systems offer. In one of the cases that took place in a central Kashmir village, a family was targeted – attacked, and allegedly paraded nude, for an RTI application revealed the big fish in the village had taken nearly 13 lakh rupees to construct house under IAY.
All the 26 beneficiaries were relatives of a Sarpanch, some minors and some government employees. The state apparatus should have reacted fast by registered cases for fraud and rioting. Instead, a media campaign forced the the police to act. Now the same crisis is afflicting the private sector. If a recent high court order is an indication then the private sector is exploiting people. Given the size of the market, those working in the private sector can never imagine of being paid as the state government pays but off late there are disturbing reports. A private security provider was getting girls from modest backgrounds, exploiting them physically and pushing them into prostitution. Denying this black sheep a bail, the court has asked the state government to legislate how the menace is controlled outside the government. Court must pursue the case to create a strong precedent.
