J&K’s bureaucratic corruption reaches new heights

Srinagar, Feb 12: A staggering 231 government employees in Jammu and Kashmir have been caught accepting bribes since January 2019, highlighting the deep-rooted corruption plaguing the administrative setup in J&K.

This alarming statistic comes from data accessed by Greater Kashmir from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which has been actively working to combat corruption through its trap operations.

The Revenue Department is the most implicated, with 69 employees caught in bribery cases, followed by the Rural Development Department (RDD) with 35 cases.

Other notable departments include the Police, which has seen 26 employees caught accepting bribes, the Forest Department with 17, the Power Development Department (PDD) with 13, and the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department with nine.

District-wise analysis reveals that Srinagar has the highest number of corruption cases, with 43 officials apprehended accepting bribes.

This figure is largely attributed to the concentration of government headquarters in the city, including the civil secretariat.

Following Srinagar, Baramulla reported 40 cases, while Jammu accounted for 24 employees caught in bribery traps.

Other districts that recorded significant numbers include 17 in Ganderbal, 16 in Pulwama, 15 in Kupwara, and 14 each in Anantnag and Budgam.

Bandipora recorded nine such cases, Kulgam and Rajouri eight each, Udhampur six, Doda and Kathua four each, Poonch three, Shopian, Reasi, and Ramban two each while Samba and Kishtwar did not report any case.

The consistent rise in such incidents of corruption reflects a systemic issue that continues to undermine public trust in government institutions.

Greater Kashmir on Monday reported that one Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and 89 Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) officers have been involved in various First Information Reports (FIRs) since 2019.

As per the ACB, 515 corruption cases have been registered from 2019 to 2024.

Since 2019, 89 KAS officers, along with one IAS officer, have been named in these FIRs, indicating a concerning trend of misconduct within the bureaucratic structure.