DoPT warning to 1,800 IAS officers for not filing returns

In its bid to promote more accountability among bureaucrats, the Narendra Modi led central government has warned 1,800 IAS officers for not filing their immovable property returns and they are likely to face “strict action”, sources said.

Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) headed by Modi has sent written warnings to such officers for not adhering to a ‘circular’ for immovable property returns.

Modi is very annoyed with the ‘laid back attitude’ of the IAS officers for not following the government circular despite repeated reminders, sources said.

It was due to this “attitude” Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) Chief Avinash Chander was removed from the post on January 13, which did not go down well with the bureaucrats.

Sources said, the last date of filing the immovable property returns was on January 31 and those who had failed to follow the instructions are going to face “strict action”, which may impact their service record. On the other hand, the government may extend the date of filing the returns till April 30, which will be considered as the final day. The decision was taken after the PM had a discussion with Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Jitendra Singh.

“These returns are in addition to the new ones now required to be submitted by the officers under the new provisions of the Lokpal Act by April, 2015. But it is unfortunate that these senior officers are not responding. This has not gone down well with the Prime Minister,” sources said.

According to an order issued by the DoPT, the government has also asked the concerned authorities to harmonize the respective service rules in such a way that the officers are not asked to file same property details twice annually.

Interestingly, the present Chief Secretary Deepak Mohan Spolia, who was appointed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal (during his first term as Chief Minister), too has failed to submit his property returns. Spolia, an IAS officer of 1979 batch (UT cadre), took charge as a Chief Secretary of Delhi on January 1, 2013.

Arvind Ray, a 1984-batch officer, who has been holding the additional charge of Home Department, is also on the list of officers who are yet to submit their returns.

A senior official at the DoPT said: “It is very unfortunate that such senior bureaucrats are giving a no-care attitude in submitting their returns. The former and the present Chief Secretary both have failed to submit their returns.”

The list also includes a “controversial” IAS officer, Parimal Rai. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has started a case against him in connection with the alleged graft in contracts for up-gradation of Shivaji Stadium during 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Rai, a 1985-batch IAS from UT cadre, headed the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) for a four-year period between 2007 and 2011. 

As per the Lokpal Act, every public servant shall file the returns of his assets and liabilities, including that of his spouse and dependent family members, on March 31 every year on or before July 31 of that year.