J&K Public Men and Public Servants Declaration of Assets and Other Provisions Act, 1983 requires that all public servants send in their annual property returns by 31 January every year. They are required to show all their moveable and immoveable property in the return including increase if any. They are also required to indicate the source wherefrom the increased property has been raised. Obviously, this is among some of the measures of the Government to check corruption and illegal amassing of wealth by Government employees. More than three and a half months have gone by from the last date of filing the returns and still 241 KAS cadre officers in various departments of the Government of the State have not sent in their returns. What is more interesting is that among the defaulters are Deputy Commissioners, Deputy Secretaries, Directors as Heads of the Departments and other senior officers. We have their names and designations with us. The General Administration Department (GAD) has taken a serious note of infringement of rules on the part of senior ranking officers and has issued notices to them to explain delay in filing the returns. Although, the notice issued by the GAD to the defaulting officers does not indicate anything about the punitive action that could be taken for this default yet according to the provisions of the Act, non submission of annual property return is tantamount to a criminal act cognizable under law. When senior ranking officers break the law by not filing their annual returns, what message are they sending to their juniors and subordinates? They are supposed to be the path finders. But if bureaucrats indulge in subverting the rules, they are unmindful of their duty towards the State. The warning from GAD is enough to make them do the needful.
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