File assets details in time or face disciplinary action: Govt to IAS officers

The Centre has asked IAS officers to file details of their immovable property in time or face disciplinary action, according to a personnel ministry order.

An officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) shall submit an annual return in a specified form, giving full particulars regarding the immovable property inherited, owned or acquired by him or held by him on lease or mortgage, either in his own name or in the name of any member of his family or any other person, according to the rules.

Such annual immovable property return has to be submitted by January 31 of the year.

"Failure on the part of the members of the service to comply with the requirements of the aforesaid provisions constitutes good and sufficient reason for institution of disciplinary proceedings, among other things," the personnel ministry said in a latest order.

In order to further facilitate the filing of immovable property return (IPR), the personnel ministry has introduced online filing such returns in respect of the lAS officers.

Through this module, the officers can submit the IPR either electronically or upload scanned copy of the manually filled IPR.

This online module closes automatically after the prescribed timeline of January 31, 2020, in respect of the calendar year 2019, the ministry said.

"I would, therefore, request you to kindly issue necessary instructions to all lAS officers working in your ministry/department and its various organisations, to ensure that they submit their IPRs online in the IPR module for the year ending on December 31, 2019, as per the prescribed timeline," it said in the order issued to secretaries of the central government departments and the chief secretaries of state governments.

There are 5,205 IAS officers working across the country against their sanctioned strength of 6,699.

According to an updated personnel ministry data, 444 IAS officers are yet to submit their latest immovable property return.