MUZAFFARABAD:Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) cabinet has decided to amend the ineffective accountability law to resume across the board free, fair and strict accountability of the public office holders aimed to curb the rising menace of corruption by the government functionaries, said Minister.
Senior Minister Col (retid) Waqar Noor accompanied with two other ministers Abdul Majid Khan and Ch. Abdul Rasheed announced the decisions of the cabinet taken last night at a press conference here on Friday.
The Minister without portfolio Abdul Majid Khan while initiating the press conference said that a cabinet committee was constituted under the chairmanship of senior minister Col Waqar Noor to propose amendments in the accountability law in order to enable the accountability Bureau to proceed against corruption in an effective manner.
The accountability process was made ineffective by amendments in the accountability act during the last Pakistan Muslim League (N) government headed by former Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan leaving the accountability body to exist but with limited powers to proceed against corruption.
Majid Khan claimed that his government was committed towards fairness and accountability process and would reinstate the teeth of accountability watchdog that had been pulled out by the previous government in order to initiate across-the-board free, fair and strict accountability.
Khan said that Prime Minister Anwar Ul Haq had earlier also activated the defunct anti-corruption department which shows his determination towards fairness and corruption-free governance in the region besides austerity measures taken to overcome the wastage of public money.
The cabinet also lifted the ban on transfer postings besides extending the upper age limit for government jobs up to 40 years for a further 3 years, the minister added saying the ban on contract and ad hoc appointments was also lifted and rules for appointments on discretionary posts were also approved in the meeting.
He said that the cabinet also approved to withdrawal of the electricity hike in the bills of July which was earlier suspended by the prime Minister and decided not to charge a late payment surcharge (LPS) on July bills while the cabinet disapproved the amendments in Mangla upraising agreement enacted in 2021 and the issue will be raised with the central government and WAPDA.
Senior Minister Col Waqar Noor said that the government was working with WAPDA to overcome the environmental effects due to the diversion of the Neelum River in Muzaffarabad and currently 20 comic feet of water was flowing in the river which will not be reduced till the construction of water bodies on the river.
He said the government was bearing the price difference on the flour prices by providing a 20 kg bag for 1550 rupees which was being sold in the market for 3100 rupees besides almost 7 billion rupees annual subsidy for transportation of wheat and 10 to 12 billion rupees were being spent in the head of price difference.
Noor on a lighter note quoted that the government employees in the region were demanding salaries at par with the Punjab while flour on local rates which is half to that of Punjab and said it was equal to consume all the sweet and split the acidulous.
He said the savings through austerity measures were being transferred to public welfare heads such as health and budget for the medicine in the public sector hospitals was almost doubled by the Prime Minister while the outcomes of other decisions and measures would be witnessed soon in the public life.
Another Minister Ch. Rasheed added that the development sector in the region was facing a shortage of funds due to the financial crunch in the country but due to the Prime Minister’s austerity measures, Rupees 14 billion had been saved which were being diverted towards the development sector and the people will see a positive change within few months.