Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Monday said accountability and transparency was the soul of good governance.

An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that attending the launch ceremony of the first edition of the Journal of Jammu Kashmir Finance and Accounts Society (JAKFAS) at Srinagar, the LG said, “Accountability and transparency is the soul of good governance. With complete dedication and commitment, we have ensured timely and expeditious implementation of development projects, direct benefit to common man, and social and regional imbalances have been removed.”

He congratulated all the members of the JAKFAS and highlighted the important role and contribution of Account Service Officers in inclusive development and growth.

Sinha said that the Finance and Account Services was not only the watchdog of accountability as far as government expenditure was concerned but also promoter and facilitator of all-round development.

He shared the financial reforms taken up by the J&K administration in recent years, which had brought greater transparency and accountability to the financial system, making it more robust and outcome-oriented.

The LG said that the key reforms including BEAMS, J&KPaySys, mandatory approvals, technical sanctions, e-tendering, digital payments, adherence to General Financial Rules, and other technology interventions have immensely contributed to the efficiency and transparency in the system.

He also lauded the key role of Account Service officers in implementing these reforms.

“Corruption was deeply rooted in all the systems of J&K for many decades. We have taken multi-pronged action against corruption, stringent action against offenders, and implementation of digital governance for accountability to usher in clean and transparent governance,” Sinha said.

He felicitated the retiring and new members of the J&K Account Services and called upon them to make the people aware of their responsibility of paying for government services.

“If capable people pay their power bills then the government can waive off the bills of the poor and farmers,” the LG said.

“J&K is growing by leaps and bounds and so are the aspirations of people and their expectations from the administration. We need to work with dedication to maintain the growth momentum and bring change in the lives of people, especially to the poor and the underprivileged,” he said.

Sinha called for completion of digitisation of pension payment authorities on mission mode.

He, on behalf of JAKFAS, also handed over cheques to Next of Kin of the deceased members of the society.

Chief Secretary, Arun Kumar Mehta; Principal Secretary Finance Department, Santosh D Vaidya; MD and CEO J&K Bank, Baldev Prakash; Commissioner Secretary GAD, Sanjeev Verma; Commissioner State Taxes, Rashmi Singh; and President JAKFAS, Iftikhar Hussain Chauhan were also present on the occasion.

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