SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday called upon the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to ensure that every decision, investigation and prosecution undertaken by the agency stands firm under judicial scrutiny, asserting that the fight against corruption must be guided by the authority of the Constitution and aimed at winning the trust of the people.
The Lieutenant Governor was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the new Anti-Corruption Bureau Headquarters building at Sidhra in Jammu and the ACB APKS Branch at Awantipora.
A government spokesman said the Lieutenant Governor emphasised that Jammu and Kashmir has entered a new phase of governance marked by transparency and accountability. He said the newly inaugurated facilities symbolise the administration’s commitment to building a corruption-free Union Territory.
According to the spokesman, the Lieutenant Governor said Jammu and Kashmir “no longer settles for mediocrity or the ordinary” and that people across the Union Territory now believe that a promising future lies ahead. He added that fulfilling this vision was also the responsibility of officers and staff of the Anti-Corruption Bureau.
The spokesman said the Lieutenant Governor observed that the two new buildings were not merely physical infrastructure but represented a strong declaration of transparency in public life and a commitment to clean governance.
Highlighting governance reforms in recent years, the Lieutenant Governor said that over the past five to six years the administration has introduced transformative changes to make government systems transparent and oriented towards public service. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, a faceless mechanism had been introduced to eliminate corruption in government processes, reduce delays and deliver services directly to citizens.
The spokesman said the Lieutenant Governor also noted that project execution across sectors had accelerated significantly in recent years. He attributed progress in industry, infrastructure, agriculture, self-employment, health, power and rural development to a governance model based on transparency and accountability.
Calling for stronger institutional credibility, the Lieutenant Governor urged ACB officers to conduct daily self-audits of their work. The spokesman said he also stressed the need for close coordination among investigative agencies, observing that corruption in the modern world often involves interconnected networks and scattered data, making timely cooperation essential for effective investigations.
The Lieutenant Governor further emphasised the importance of speedy investigations, stating that delays in justice weaken the outcomes of corruption cases and undermine public confidence. He urged officials to develop a work culture that eliminates delays in delivering justice.
According to the spokesman, the Lieutenant Governor said corruption should not be viewed merely as a loss to the public exchequer but as a crime that deprives youth of opportunities, weakens families and causes injustice to vulnerable sections of society.
The newly established ACB APKS Branch at Awantipora will cater to the ACB Police Station Anantnag, which has jurisdiction over all districts of South Kashmir. The facility is expected to improve operational efficiency, enhance accessibility for the public and enable quicker handling of complaints and investigations in the region.
Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau Shakti Kumar Pathak briefed the gathering on the functioning of the bureau and the features of the newly constructed buildings. He said the upgraded infrastructure would provide a conducive working environment and strengthen vigilance operations at the field level.
Among those present at the event were Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, ADGP Headquarters MK Sinha, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor Mandeep K Bhandari, Commissioner Secretary GAD M Raju, Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar, IGP Jammu Bhim Sen Tuti, Deputy Commissioner Jammu Rakesh Minhas and other senior officials.
