Jammu, Dec 12 (IANS): Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik said on Wednesday that corruption is the single biggest problem that has retarded economic development in the state.

Addressing the media after releasing a compendium of developmental and administrative works done in the state during Governor's rule, Malik said: "Corruption is the single biggest problem of the state.

"Those in power here, be it political, administrative or business power, live like Mughal emperor Jahangir.

"The poor youths who go with their ponies to earn a living during the Amarnath Yatra do so without even wearing warm clothes.

"When I said the state's biggest single problem was corruption, a senior politician said I was bringing a bad name to the state.

"It is in fact the rampart corruption that brings a bad name to the state and it needs to be weeded out."

Malik said his administration had pro-actively been pursuing an anti-corruption agenda.

"The state vigilance organization has been given more powers by converting it into the state Anti-Corruption Bureau.

"This empowerment has already started showing results. We recently had a Commissioner level bureaucrat in our net.

"More punitive action against corrupt officials is going to be taken in the days to come," Malik said.