Asset declaration: Ministers, babus miss extended deadline!

LUCKNOW: Most of the IAS and PCS officers, other state officers and employees besides ministers appear to have missed the deadline for declaring their assets again as the extended date for doing so expired on Monday.

Although senior officers of state government refused to admit that most of officers and employees had failed to provide the information by April 15--the extended date to declare assets-sources confirmed it and attributed it to long weekend with Monday being a public holiday.

“We will collect all the information received from the districts in the next few days. The state government’s offices remained closed on Monday. Compiled information about declaration of assets, therefore, is not available with the state government now,” said a senior officer.

The state government had earlier extended the deadline to April 15 in view of the closure of financial year on March 31, 2017.

A day after assuming office on March 19, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had asked the officers to declare their assets on prescribed format within 15 days. The state government later sought information about assets from all the officers and employees alike. A prescribed format had been worked out and the same was sent to all the officers and employees. It sought details about the immoveable properties owned by them. It also sought details about the inheritance or buying of such property. The officers and employees were also asked to provide information about the investment made by them in shares along with the deposits in the bank accounts. Most of them have been seen making enquiries about the details to be given as they found the format a bit complicated.

Another officer pointed out the IAS officers had already been providing details of their assets hoping other officers and employees too would provide information about their assets soon. The CM, has, meanwhile sent a reminder to his ministerial colleagues asking them to provide details of their assets. In a letter dated April 13, the chief minister has noted that the ministers had not provided details of moveable and immoveable assets till now. “I hope you will provide the information in the next three days,” said Yogi. The three-day period ended on Monday. Sources, however, said the letter might not have reached all the ministers due to a long weekend and that most of the ministers were likely to declare assets in next three working days.