While celebrating the 75th Independence of our country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi during delivering his one and half hour long speech from the historic Red Fort of Delhi has put emphasis on corruption and how it destructs a country from within just how termites do. In reality, in any country issues like corruption and favouritism slow down the process of development in every sector of our society. There are horrible and ugly consequences of corruption that puts a society at stake.
Different strategies and policies are implemented by governments to curb the issue of corruption. In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma along with the government functionaries has declared a ‘zero tolerance’ policy against corruption since its inception. This has been ardently welcomed by every responsible citizens of the state.
As follow up actions, the government tries to make reforms so the selection of incumbents in the public service commission remains transparent. Many corrupt officals and employees are also caught red handed while taking bribes and put themselves behind tha bar.
There have been numerous cases of cash-for-jobs scam at the Assam Public State Commission, the state recruitment agency with the arrest of former chairman Rakesh Paul as the prime suspect for irregular activities related to recruitment of candidates into different state government sectors.
With the motive to curb corruption, an enquiry commission is constituted headed by Justice Biplob Sarma, Retd. Judge to look into the infamous cash-for-jobs scam at the APSC (Assam Public Service Commission) and to recommend ways to get rid of anomalies and other forms of fraud. As per records, Justice Sarma’s commission submitted the 2013 APSC batch report that accused a total of thirty eight government officials from both administrative and police departments of their illegal involvement in securing a government job.
Subsequently the government has constituted another high level enquiry commission headed by Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam and another top three government officials to review the report submitted by Sarma’s commission. The report was asked to be submitted within 100 days of time frame. But unfortunately six months has passed but neither has the high level commission submitted any reports nor the government has taken any action in this regard.
Moreover the Chief Secretary who headed the high level commission has retired from his service, pending his review report untouched. To utmost surprise, according to reports accused officials which were identified by Biplap Sarma’s commission have viewed for promotion by the government.
But we as alert citizens can only hope and be optimistic of the policies that our government takes to curb corruption. Hence, all sensitive and alert citizens of the state are eagerly waiting and closely monitoring the follow-up actions of the Government in this regard. If no proper actions are taken up by the government than we are bound to think that the enquiry commission is futile and mockery only.
