Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Oct 12: The October 15 deadline for IAS and other Civil Services officers to declare their movable and immovable property under the Lokpal Act, has been extended by six months, up to April 15 next year.
This was disclosed here today by Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space.
The formal communication granting six months’ extension has been issued by the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT). Central Government officials, as per the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, are required to declare their assets and liabilities, both movable and immovable, including those of their spouses and dependents.
Giving details of the existing provisions, Dr Jitendra Singh elaborated that under the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, All India Services officers, on their first appointment to the Service, submit a return of their assets and liabilities giving full particulars regarding immovable property owned, inherited or acquired by them, either in their own name or in the name of any other member of family. They are also required to file a return regarding shares, debentures and other movable property including cash and jewellery, he explained. In addition, he said, such officers are also required to intimate the government in respect of each transaction which exceeds a certain value as prescribed from time to time within a month of such transaction.
Under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, however, Dr Jitendra Singh revealed that while these officers are required to file returns under Section 44 of the Act, they are also required to disclose the assets of spouse and dependent children. He informed that the government had introduced the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act and Other Related Law (Amendment) Bill, 2014 in the Lok Sabha on 18th December 2014, but it was referred to the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, headed by Rajya Sabha Member E.M.Sudarsana Natchiappan. The Report of the Committee is still awaited, he said.
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