J-K Govt to take action against officials for not submitting property details

SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir administration is set to take action against officials who fail to submit details about annual property returns to the government.

The returning of property details in January every year is a mandatory exercise aimed at checking the amassing of disproportionate assets and the known source of income of employees.

The administration has asked its employees to submit online every year a declaration listing moveable assets, including electric and electronic household items, owned by them and their family members in cases where the value exceeds two months’ basic salary.

The declaration will cover “all the assets” owned by employees and their family members and lists “cash balance, saving bank deposits, shares, cash certificates, fixed deposits, debentures, security bonds, jewellery/ ornaments, and household items (electric and electronic items only).”

However, it has been found that some officials are either not submitting property details or not showing the exact value of their property.

“They have been told either submit property returns forthwith or face action as per the service rules. Every year, most of these officers are showing unwillingness in submitting details of property returns. The government is framing a list of these officials who have not submitted property details,” a senior official of the General Administration Department was quoted as having said by the news agency KINS.

“The property of these defaulters remains unchecked due to the absence of property returns,” the official said.

In the absence of annual property returns, a large number of employees are amassing wealth and possessing disproportionate assets which remain out of the glare of anti-graft bodies.

They are also required to indicate the reasons for the increase, if any, in the assets and source as per the Act. The Act and Rules provide for imposing a penalty for non-submission of the property returns.

The official said the government has switched to online mode to ensure that all the employees file their property statements regularly and on time.

“Earlier, they used to submit their declaration forms to their respective heads of departments against proper receipts. The new system will save the trouble of issuing a receipt to each and every employee. Also, officers at even senior levels had to be repeatedly reminded to file their annual statements earlier,” the official said.