SRINAGAR; Mar 02: Jammu and Kashmir High Court Friday temporarily stopped the State Accountability Commission (SAC) from examining as to how the state Chief Minister’s political advisor and heads of some boards in the state were given ministerial status.

Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir stayed the anti-graft body’s February 17 notice to the chief minister’s office seeking its explanation as to why it had conferred ministerial status on the political advisor and chiefs of various boards of the state.
Four politicians - Mushtaq Ahmad Bukhari, Shamima Firdous, Bashir Ahmad Naaz and Kuldip Raj - had moved the High Court seeking orders to quash the ongoing proceedings before the SAC.
The petitioners, who head various boards and commissions and enjoy Minister of State status, pleaded that the State Accountability Commission Act does not provide any powers to the Commission to take suo-moto cognizance of any matter. While admitting the petitions, Justice Mir issued notices to the state government and the SAC with the direction to file their responses within four weeks.
The SAC last month had issued notices to the Chief Minister’s Office and heads of various boards to explain under what rules Chief Minister’s political advisors and board heads were conferred ministerial status.
The Commission had observed that conferring ministerial status was seen as undue favor to the politicians at the cost of the public exchequer.
The politicians enjoying ministerial status include Mubarak Gul, Advisor to the Chief Minister, Devender Singh Rana, Political Advisor to the Chief Minister; Mushtaq Ahmad Shah (Bukhari), Vice Chairman J&K State Advisory Board for Development of Pahari Speaking People, Choudhary Bashir Ahmad Naz, Vice Chairman J&K State Advisory Board for Development of Gujjars and Bakerwals;  Rachpal Singh, Vice Chairman J&K State Advisory Board for Development of Kissans; Kuldeep Raj Verma, Vice Chairman J&K State Advisory Board for the Welfare and Development of Other Backward Classes; Swarn Lata, Vice Chairperson J&K State Advisory Board for Development of Scheduled Castes and Shamima Firdous, Chairperson, J&K State Commission for Women, the same also deserves cognizance and regular inquiry.