SAC restarts proceedings against Congress’ 2 ex-ministers

Srinagar, Apr 29: The State Accountability Commission (SAC) has restarted proceedings against two former ministers of the Congress party after vacating the stay orders.
The SAC initiated proceedings in 2012 against a senior Congress leader and former education minister for misusing his position to facilitate his son to use unfair means in a secondary school examination.
Similarly, the SAC had ordered regular enquiry against another Congress leader in 2012, then-minister of state, in connection with the multi-crore scam in Jammu and Kashmir Cooperatives Housing Corporation.
Both these Congress leaders had gotten the action against themselves stayed by the court against the proceedings that have been vacated by the SAC.
Chairperson SAC, Bashir Ahmad Khan, said there were complaints against four Congress ministers.
“A complaint against a former Congress minister was dismissed by the commission before us. The complaint of another Congress leader was disposed of after his death,” Khan said.
“Now, we have restarted proceeding against two former Congress ministers. We recently got the stay vacated against one former minister and re-initiated the proceedings. Besides that there are no complaints pending against any incumbent or former minister with the Commission,” he said.
As per the case before the SAC, the Congress leader had facilitated his foster son to use unfair means when the latter was taking secondary school examination.
Even after detection of this illegality, the former minister got his son let-off by exerting pressure on the concerned authorities in blatant misuse of his official position.
The issue was highlighted by the media and accordingly SAC took suo-moto cognizance.
The inquiry was at that time ordered by SAC bench comprising by the then-chairperson Justice YP Nargotra and members Justice Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain on the basis of a complaint and preliminary investigations into the case.
It was alleged in the complaint that an inquiry was conducted by then cooperative minister in respect of JK Cooperative Housing Corporation, which revealed that embezzlement worth Rs five thousand crores was committed by managing directors of the Corporation over the years.
“It alleged that the two MDs have misappropriated crores of rupees but no action was taken against them as the Minister himself got bribe and a plot from the MD of the Corporation,” the complaint had said.