KL Desk

Srinagar

Despite passage of more than eight months after a high power panel recommended names for constitution of the State Vigilance Commission (SVC) to the state Governor N N Vohra, uncertainty continues to prevail over the constitution of the much awaited anti-corruption watchdog in the state.

Despite Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s repeated assertions that activating various commissions including SVC were on his top priority, constitution of the much-awaited State Vigilance Commission does not seem to be in sight as confusion continues over the fate of official panel prepared and suggested to Governor N N Vohra by the state government.

According to reliable sources, the file which was resubmitted by the state government to the Governor after recording certain clarifications has since long been returned to the state government by the Governor after final approval to the nomination of the Chief Vigilance Commissioner and two Vigilance Commissioners. Governor N N Vohra had earlier returned the file to the state government raising certain queries.

The state government was expected to have issued orders for appointment of former Director General of Police, Kuldeep Khoda to the coveted post of CVC soon after receiving the file from the Governor, the sources said. Orders for appointment of retired IAS officers R K Jerath and Muhammad Syed Khan as Vigilance Commissioners were also to be issued simultaneously. After issuance of the orders by the state government, the Governor would have accorded an oath of office to the CVC and VCs”, they added.

However, surprisingly, none of the top officials in the state government could confirm the fate of the file regarding constitution of the State Vigilance Commission.

When contacted, state Chief Secretary, Madhav Lal said he has no knowledge about the file. He said as per procedure such files are routed through the General Administration Department. “I can confirm to you that the file is not with me or with my office”, Lal told KNS over phone.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Secretary, General Administration Department (GAD), Sheikh Mushtaq Ahmad remained tight lipped over the fate of the file. “I cannot disclose as to where the file is. It is a top secret and cannot be revealed to people or media”, he told KNS over phone.
When asked whether he could confirm that the approval had been given by the state Governor, he said, “I won’t comment whether the file is with the Governor or the CM or somewhere else”.
Surprisingly, in spite of the state government’s directive that no file should be remain held up at one place in the civil secretariat or top offices of the government for more than 48 hours, one of the most important files related to forming the much awaited commission against corruption in the state remains untraced for months together. “This is perhaps the most important file that is held up in the top offices of the government, what would be the fate of thousands of other files that are pending at various tables and offices”, asked on official wishing anonymity.
Pertinently on May 28, a panel, comprising chief minister Omar Abdullah, deputy chief minister Tara Chand and law minister Ali Mohammed Sagar had recommended the names of former Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda for appointment as CVC. The panel had also recommended retired bureaucrats R K Jerath and MS Khan as Vigilance commissioners. The panel had sent these recommendations ignoring the objections raised by the leader of opposition Mehbooba Mufti over Khoda’s nomination.
The recommendations were in mid-June returned to the state government by the governor seeking certain queries and clarifications from the government, after which the state government had resubmitted the file, along with clarifications, to the governor for final approval.

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