<p>While hailing the Parliament's passing of the Lokpal Bill, the patron of People's Democratic Party's (PDP), Mufti Mohammed Sayeed on Wednesday said it was PDP which had constituted similar institution in the state, much before it was done, nationally. <br /><br /></p>.<p>He also said that anti-graft bodies in the state have been rendered non-functional by the present state government. <br /><br />Addressing a function on Wednesday in Jammu’s Doda region, he said that Jammu and Kashmir was the first state which had taken a historic and landmark step in the direction of containing corruption in the state. <br /><br />“While the country has passed Lokpal Bill today only, PDP led government in Jammu and Kashmir had constituted State Accountability Commission (SAC), similar to Jan Lokpal way back in 2003,” he said and added that powers of SAC were similarly to the Jan Lokpal because all important people including ministers and bureaucrats were brought under SAC's purview.<br /><br />“To ensure appointment of only credible persons as members of the SAC, Chief Minister, leader of the opposition and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly were authorised to appoint members of SAC,” the PDP patron recalled.<br /><br />“RTI Act was passed by the state legislature in 2004, whereas nationally, it was made a law in 2005,” he added.<br /><br />Mufti said that corruption has sneaked into the government from top to bottom but the anti-graft institutions like SAC have been made rendered useless by the present regime ‘for hiding its misdeeds’.<br /><br />He reiterated his demand that SAC should be equipped with an independent probing agency to ensure proper investigation of the cases against higher-ups. Reiterating resolve of his party to change the present inefficient and corrupt system, he said, “With the support of the people, PDP wants to change the present corrupt system and set up a new dispensation of justice and equality.”<br /><br />Mufti also said that even after passing of Lokpal Bill, there was a need to launch a war against corruption, nationally. <br /><br />He added that though, the Lokpal has become a statutory institution, a lot more needs to be done. </p>
<p>While hailing the Parliament's passing of the Lokpal Bill, the patron of People's Democratic Party's (PDP), Mufti Mohammed Sayeed on Wednesday said it was PDP which had constituted similar institution in the state, much before it was done, nationally. <br /><br /></p>.<p>He also said that anti-graft bodies in the state have been rendered non-functional by the present state government. <br /><br />Addressing a function on Wednesday in Jammu’s Doda region, he said that Jammu and Kashmir was the first state which had taken a historic and landmark step in the direction of containing corruption in the state. <br /><br />“While the country has passed Lokpal Bill today only, PDP led government in Jammu and Kashmir had constituted State Accountability Commission (SAC), similar to Jan Lokpal way back in 2003,” he said and added that powers of SAC were similarly to the Jan Lokpal because all important people including ministers and bureaucrats were brought under SAC's purview.<br /><br />“To ensure appointment of only credible persons as members of the SAC, Chief Minister, leader of the opposition and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly were authorised to appoint members of SAC,” the PDP patron recalled.<br /><br />“RTI Act was passed by the state legislature in 2004, whereas nationally, it was made a law in 2005,” he added.<br /><br />Mufti said that corruption has sneaked into the government from top to bottom but the anti-graft institutions like SAC have been made rendered useless by the present regime ‘for hiding its misdeeds’.<br /><br />He reiterated his demand that SAC should be equipped with an independent probing agency to ensure proper investigation of the cases against higher-ups. Reiterating resolve of his party to change the present inefficient and corrupt system, he said, “With the support of the people, PDP wants to change the present corrupt system and set up a new dispensation of justice and equality.”<br /><br />Mufti also said that even after passing of Lokpal Bill, there was a need to launch a war against corruption, nationally. <br /><br />He added that though, the Lokpal has become a statutory institution, a lot more needs to be done. </p>
