Staff Reporter:
Muzaffarabad:, (Parliament Times) : By amending the Anti-Corruption Establishment Rules 97-19, the powers of inquiry against all employees under the Anti-Corruption Act were given to the Director General Anti-Corruption. The independent government of the state of Jammu and Kashmir delegated the powers of DG Anti-Corruption Establishment to conduct inquiries under the Anti-Corruption Act, 1993 against all employees and officers from Grade 01 to Grade 20. In this regard, a notification has been issued by the Department of Services and General Administration. The condition of getting permission from the government before conducting inquiry against Grade 19 and Grade 20 officers has also been done away with. Now, on receipt of complaints, the rules have been amended to facilitate the procedure of initial inquiry and to complete the inquiry as soon as possible. Inform the concerned government so that the government is aware of the inquiries being made against senior officers under the Anti-Corruption Act. By amending the said rules, all departments and authorities are bound to ensure the provision of information or records called for by anti-crypto authorities in connection with any inquiry or case and not to provide information or records. In this case, criminal action can be taken against the responsible employee or officer under Section 182 and Section 202 of the Azad Kashmir Penal Code. The requirement to complete future inquiries within one month has also been included in the rules, apart from this, approval from the competent authorities will continue to be obtained for registration of anti-corruption cases. The amendment of the rules will improve the functioning of the anti-corruption department and help to bring the corrupt elements to justice as soon as possible.