- ACB Confirms Corruption, Yet Culprits Walk Free
Jammu; 29 Octo. Renowned RTI Activist Balvinder Singh has once again brought to light the glaring inefficacy of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Jammu and Kashmir.
Singh revealed that on April 30, 2022, he had exposed massive irregularities in purchases made by DHS and rural development department through Government e-Marketplace (GeM). Following the disclosure, the ACB constituted a team, supervised by G.S. Ghuman JKPS, AIG (Policy), ACB JKUT, to investigate the allegations. The team’s findings fully corroborated Singh’s allegations, confirming a loss of several lakhs to the state exchequer and establishing a clear nexus between departmental buyers and vendors.
The report detailed significant financial discrepancies, including: Overpricing of USG Machines, with an excess of ₹19,60,800 paid. Inflated costs for Radicon Binocular Polarizing Microscopes, leading to a loss of ₹1,63,000.
Excessive pricing on 32GB pen drives, purchased at ₹850 each despite a market rate of ₹400. Similarly 16GB pen drives purchased @Rs. Unjustified bulk orders, violating financial regulations and favouring select vendors. Exorbitant cartridge purchases, with items priced at ₹4800/ each despite a market rate of ₹630/. This shows that the same cartridge has been purchased by the DHS at an Exorbitant rates about 900% of the original cost.
Singh said that my latest RTI reply received from ACB vide No:ACB/E-7295058/RTI/CPIO/13491 Dated:25.09.2025,reveals that till date no FIR is registered against any person may it be vendor or buyer. Singh said despite clear evidence of procurement fraud, the ACB’s final recommendation was limited to recovering the financial loss from the vendor—completely sidestepping any legal action against the government officials who facilitated the criminal misconduct. Singh expressed surprise at this conclusion, noting that while the ACB explicitly confirmed the existence of a nexus between the buyer and supplier, it failed to hold the departmental buyers accountable. “Why penalize only the vendor,” he asked, “when the buyer manipulated the process by placing over 40 orders to a single vendor in one day—an act that blatantly violates both the Central Vigilance Commission guidelines and Rule 166 of GFR 2017?” Singh sharply criticized what he described as a toothless and evasive response, asserting that the bureau—despite having competent officers—appears to have been rendered ineffective under pressure from higher authorities.
Singh said RTI reply of answer to Q.No 6 said that ACB concluded the whole matter by simply forwarding the Alert Note to GAD with the request to widely circulate the note upto HoDs level so that they may be alerted to the practices in departments and stem the loss being caused to exchequer.
Singh emphasized that the General Financial Rules (GFR) clearly state that every Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) must act with the conviction that each rupee spent is from their own pocket, as they are custodians of public funds. It is, therefore, their paramount duty to ensure judicious and transparent use of every penny.
So all present over there urged the Government and especially the General Administration Department (GAD) to direct the ACB to immediately register an FIR against the erring officials and other beneficiaries involved in the GeM procurement scam. Singh cautioned that if the government fails to act, they will be compelled to pursue other lawful remedies to ensure recovery of the hard-earned taxpayers’ money.
Prominent persons who were present in the Press conference are S Rajinder Singh Sudan, S Manmohan Singh, S Joginder Singh Sudan, S Satinder Singh, Sh Mahesh Kotwal etc.