Govt amends rulebook, rank and file of city admin to declare assets
In its bid to bring transparency in governance and weeding out corrupt practices, the Delhi Government has issued an order asking all the employees from peon to the topmost officers to declare their movable and immovable assets. Previously only Class I and II (only Gazetted officials) were supposed to declare all details of immovable property only but rulebook has been amended and the rank and file of the city administration has been asked to declare all their wealth. As per new norms, every Government employees will have to submit details of movable and immovable properties every year. There are over 60,000 Government employees in Delhi.
Top officials of Delhi Government said that this will bring transparency, check corruption at all level. “The new directives will also help to identify benami properties as there is a tradition in Delhi by corrupt officials to buy benami properties here,” he said. Currently, only Class I and II officers usually file details of immovable properties. After the enactment of this new Act, all Government employees will have to submit details of immovable and movable properties, including cash in hand and savings. This will help in checking the corrupt practices as officials will be wary of being caught if they hide their property details while declaring the assets, an official said.
In a circular to all Principal Secretaries/Secretaries/Special Secretaries/local and Autonomous Bodies, Delhi Government’s Services Department has directed to furnishing of information and annual returns of assets and liabilities and the limits of exemption of assets in filing returns. In the new performa, the employees will have to disclose cash in hand, deposit in bank accounts, deposit in fixed deposit and saving in financial institutions, non banking financial companies and cooperative societies, investment in bonds, debentures/ shares, details of NSS, postal, saving in insurance policies, saving in jewellery, bullion and valuable things, details of vehicles and other personal loans.
“The lokpal and lokayuktas Act 2013 came in to force on January 16, 2014 and the said Act is requires furnishing of information relating to assets and liabilities by the public servant as defined in the Act, on the occasion of entering upon office and by public servant holding his office as such within the a period of 30 days from the date of coming into force of the said Act. It also requires the filing of annual returns of assets and liabilities by all public servants to the competent authority on or before July 31 of each year. The Government has now notified the public servants rules 2014,” the circular said.