J&K wants to ensure accountability

JAMMU: The coalition government led by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is keen on ensuring accountability among administrators and politicians.
Towards this end, it plans to introduce a Bill on accountability during the special session of the legislative Assembly scheduled to begin on November 21. The CM and ministers would be made accountable under this Bill, deputy chief Mangat Ram Sharma has said.
Just as charity begins at home, accountability should begin from the ministers themselves, he said.Sharma said accountability would ensure a responsive and clean administration.
The Bill is likely to be drafted under the expert guidance of Law and Finance Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beigh, a Supreme Court lawyer of repute. Beigh, a globetrotter, has handled complicated legal assignments all over the world with aplomb and the Bill would be a class in itself, sources close to him said.
Sharma said there was no question of allowing militants to kill and maim innocents and such elements would be dealt with firmly.
The government would welcome the Kashmir committee headed by Ram Jethmalani when it arrives in the state for talks as the Centre had an important role to play in bringing down social tensions in Jammu and Kashmir, Sharma said. The passage of Bill may land some bureaucrats close to the National Conference in soup as they made hundreds of illegal appointments in utter violation or rules and also conferred out of turn promotions on relatives of NC workers, according to sources in the general administration department (GAD).
CPM leader M Y Tarigami had waged a lonely battle against the alleged wrong-doings of the NC government and repeatedly sought details through Assembly questions regarding appointments made in relaxation (a euphemism for violation) of rules in government service. However, his efforts were stymied in successive Assembly sessions by the stock reply ``information is being collected’’ year after year.
Sources close to Tarigami said the tenacious legislator plans to take up the issue with the chief minister and this could lead to dismissal of hundreds of employees who were recruited without following due norms.