Anti Corruption Bureau a toothless Tiger: RTI Activist

Jammu: While addressing the press Conference Balvinder Singh RTI Activist said that though, to tackle and eradicate corruption in Jammu and Kashmir in a meaningful manner and to give teeth to the anti corruption agencies State Administrative Council (SAC) under the chairman ship of Governor Satya Pal Malik, on October 24 2018 gave nod for setting up the first ever “Anti Corruption Bureau” in the State, based on the best models in the country, but on the ground it seems that ACB is still a toothless tiger.To substantiate the allegation Mr Singh said that he filed a complaint in the SVO, against the then Medical Superintendent of Govt Hospital Sarwal on 06.07.2017 vide No. VO-Med-G-3-53/17-15153-54, for changing the terms and Conditions laid down in the tender documents (NIT) at the time of issuing allotment for Fair Price Medical Shop, which later resulted in the loss of more than two crore to the State exchequer. As per Singh SVO forwarded the said Complaint to the Commissioner Secretary H&ME on 08.09.2017 asking him to conduct an enquiry and send the enquiry report back to Vigilance. Commissioner Secretary H&ME forwarded complaint to Director Health Services Jammu on 16.10.2017 requesting him to conduct an enquiry into the matter and furnish the factual detailed report to H&ME deptt within two weeks. Director Health Services constituted three members Committee, who conducted the Enquiry, and submitted the report to Commissioner Secretary H&ME on 28.02.2018. Activist said that he filled RTI in Directorate of Health Services Jammu on Feb 2018 and got the Enquiry Report from the PIO in the office of DHS on 23.03.2018 vide his letter No. DHSJ/110/202000, Committee members submitted in the Conclusion of the said report “the change of terms and Conditions of the NIT is a sensitive issue which should have been placed before the committee who had the mandate to approve the terms and Conditions”.Singh said that everyone can judge the functioning of SVO now named as Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) that the Enquiry Committee report which was submitted by Director Health Services to Commissioner Secretary H&ME a year ago and the copy of which has already been provided to the complainant under RTI at least a year ago, but the SVO/ACB is still struggling hard to get the copy of the that report. Balvinder further stated that to know the status of the complaint filed by him he filled RTI in the J&K State ACB on 09.11.2018 and was shocked to see the reply provide to him by the PIO ACB vide letter No. ACB/RTI/PIO/18839 dated 04.12.18 which stated that “it is to inform that your complaint was referred to the Commissioner Secretary to Govt. H&ME department vide this office Communication No. VO-Med-G-53/17-15153-54 dated 08.09.2017 for conducting an enquiry followed by reminders dt. 10.01.18, 19.04.18, 27.09.18 & 07.01.19, however report is awaited” it is pertinent to mention here that even after the submission of the enquiry Report to Com. Sec. H&ME by DHS a year ago the same is not been provided to the ACB till date despite been given three reminders in the name of State Vigilance organisation and one reminder