The
central government has notified rules under the Lokpal Act making it mandatory
for all its employees to file declarations of their assets
and liabilities and those of their spouses and dependent children.
It
has issued new forms for filing these returns which have fields to give details
on cash in hand, bank deposits, investment in bonds, debentures, shares and
units in companies or mutual funds, insurance policies, provident fund,
personal loans and advance given to a person or any entity, among others.
The employees need to declare motor vehicles, aircraft, yachts or ships, gold and silverjewellery and bullion possessed by them, their spouses and dependent children, according to the form.
They
need to give detail of their immovable properties and statement of debts and
other liabilities on first appointment or as on March 31 of every
financial year.
There
are about 50 lakh central government employees, including IAS, IFS and IPS,
among others.
The
rules, Public Servants (Furnishing of Information and Annual Return of Assets
and Liabilities and the Limits for Exemption of Assets in Filing Returns)
Rules, 2014– were notified by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT)
last week.
As
per the rules, notified under Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, every public servant
shall file declaration, information and annual returns of his assets
and liabilities as on March 31 every year on or before July 31 of that year.
These declarations are in addition to such returns being filed by the government employees under various services rules.
However, the competent authority may exempt a public servant from filing the information in respect of any asset if its value does not exceed his or her four months basic pay or Rs two lakh, whichever is higher, the rules said.
