More than five months after the state’s premiere anti-corruption body, Accountability Commission, started functioning its chairperson Justice (retd) R P Sethi has asked Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to provide the staff for opening the investigation wing in the Commission.Sethi took up the matter with Azad following the making of regulation by the Commission for constitution of an independent investigation wing through the exercise of the powers conferred by Section 31 of the Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission Act 2002. The regulation, which was notified on 2 December 2005, says the wing is to be headed by a police official of the rank of Additional Director General of Police who will be assisted by other 117 police officials. These include two Deputy Inspector Generals of Police, four Superintendents of Police, four Deputy Superintendents of Police, six Inspectors, 12 Sub Inspectors, 12 Assistant Sub Inspectors, 24 Head Constables, 40 constables, six clerks and seven drivers. The Commission asked they be provided to the wing on deputation.The need for the separate investigation wing has been felt to make it accountable to the Commission. As of now, the Commission relies on the police officials of the government to report to it over matters of allegations and grievances against any public functionary. And it is the government, which exercises the direct control over these officials.By making the regulations for the constitution of the investigation wing, Accountability Commission has taken cue from the Lok Ayukta of Karnataka. ‘‘The Lok Ayukta in Karnataka is manned by 750 employees out of whom 400 employees are from the police. The Lok Ayukta has SSP working in each district of Karnataka for helping in the investigation of cases,’’ says Sethi.Sources in the Commission, however, say that it has been left short-staffed in carrying out the administrative and legal work. They also point out that the lower-rung police officials can get influenced in the complaints against the ministers, particularly because the Commission has the jurisdiction to even act against the CM.Sethi adds, ‘‘I write to the police official of the rank of DIG for carrying the preliminary inquiry or an investigation so that the probe is made out in a fool-proof manner.’’The sources say that the investigation wing will have the regular powers as enjoyed by the police. It can summon and enforce the attendance of a person and can even examine him. The wing can even get any document or public record from any office for the purpose of leading the inquiry in any complaint.Army Chief reviews J&K security Jammu: With an eye on maximising pro-people measures and crushing militancy with an iron hand, Chief of Army Staff J J Singh on Thursday reviewed security in J-K in a meeting at the Northern Command Headquarters, Udhampur. He met Northern Command GoC-in-C Deepak Kapoor and Commanders of 14, 15 and 16 Corps on pro-people programmes under Operation Sadhbhavana in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. He discussed ways of crushing militancy with Field Commanders. PTI
