It is a matter of grave concern that despite big claims of the people at the helm both in the Centre and the Union Territory regarding zero tolerance against corruption, this scourge is spreading its tentacles with each passing day in J&K. Those tracking the daily reports on corruption in the region must know that this social evil has emerged as a deeply troubling and persistent issue, eroding public trust in governance and undermining the rule of law. Despite the fact that both giving and taking of bribes is illegal, instances of government servants being caught red-handed continue to surface almost daily.
Unfortunately but true is the fact that this unethical practice of greasing the palms of people sitting at important positions to facilitate things, most of the time, out of turn and with meager merit has become a norm in the administration of J&K. In this context, take the instances of the last two-three days.
An SPO at Police Station Larnoo in Anantnag District was caught red-handed while taking Rs. 18,000 from a complainant, who was forced to pay this amount for release of his vehicle’s documents seized by a team of the same police station. The ACB laid a successful trap in this case.
Similarly, a couple of days back, the Anti-Corruption Bureau trapped a Public Health Engineering (PHE) Mechanical Engineer while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 12,000 in Awantipora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. The action followed a complaint alleging that the official had demanded illegal gratification for performing official duties, prompting the ACB to lay a trap. It was said that the Executive Engineer was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe amount, following which he was taken into custody.
Such actions no doubt have been reported confirming continued efforts by the ACB to curb corruption in government departments and ensure accountability in public services but looking at the frequency of the cases one can say that the counter measures are inadequate as more has to be done. The issue of corruption has turned colossal as the situation has deteriorated to such an extent that it appears necessary for anti-corruption agencies to maintain a constant presence in government offices and even public spaces. Even the shift towards online systems and digital governance is proving insufficient as the same has failed to curb the corruption.
It is therefore necessary for the concerned authorities to gird up loins and find ways to ensure that transparency and accountability take up the central stage leaving no room for corruption to thrive.
