Weeks before demitting office, Khoda leaves inkling of Govt’s covert ‘patronage’ to corrupt
TNN Bureau. Updated: 2/18/2017 1:42:24 AM
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VOHRA WRITES TO MEHBOOBA LETTER OF REGRET
JAMMU: Barely a couple of weeks before demitting office, the outgoing Chief Vigilance Commissioner Kuldeep Khoda has left behind a parting note –the government didn’t help in actions against corrupt.
Khoda, who met Governor NN Vohra twice this month, presented before the Raj Bhawan a data on the complaints the Vigilance Commission received since 2013 and the consequent actions. The data, as reported earlier in this paper, suggests that there was slow response in terms of government action since the taking over of PDP-BJP regime.
Convinced by Khoda’s report the Governor has written a letter of displeasure to the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. Governor in a letter to the Chief Minister has noted with regret that for the past several years there has been continuing failure in timely action being taken on the reports furnished by the State Vigilance Commission (SVC). He has also observed that no action has so far been taken on the recommendations made by the SVC regarding amendments to the provisions of the Vigilance Commission Act, 2011.
Governor has suggested an urgent review meeting at the Chief Minister’s level and directions being issued to all Ministers and Administrative Secretaries to ensure that all reports/recommendations of SVC are dealt with without any delay whatsoever.
Governor noted that the SVC was established with the essential objective of promoting honest functioning of the administrative apparatus and it is of vital importance to ensure transparency and accountability in the functioning of the governmental machinery and to promptly bring to book all those who indulge in dishonest practices. In this context, there can be no acceptable basis for the SVC’s functioning and its reports not being given full and timely attention.
It may be recalled that earlier this month the State Chief Vigilance Commissioner, Kuldeep Khoda, had twice met the Governor who had particularly asked the CVC to inform him about the more significant recommendations made by the State Vigilance Commission (SVC) and the State Government’s action thereon.