Assam moots law to assess ministers, officers' assets

In a move to bring in transparency and weed out corrupt practices in governance, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has asked the Chief Secretary to prepare modalities for a legislation to assess property of the ministers, legislators, government officers, both serving and past.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, Sonowal said that the new legislation will add more teeth to weed out corrupt practices and will recommend stringent action like confiscation of property if such assets disproportionate to known sources of income are found.

He also directed that a system should be put in place where in all grade-I and grade-II officers of the state government will have to submit their a return of their immovable property within December 31. Officers of the public sector undertakings and autonomous bodies will also come within the ambit of the new system.

After the BJP-led government had taken over in Assam in May this year, the anti-corruption wing of the Assam Police had already arrested two senior officials - a forest officer and an excise superintendent - after they were caught red-handed while accepting bribes in their offices and found to have assets disproportionate to their income.

--IANS

ah/vd