Officers must file revised property returns by Sept 15: Centre

The Centre today asked states to ensure that all IAS, IPS and IFoS officers working under their jurisdiction file revised annual property returns by September 15, a mandatory obligation under the Lokpal rules notified recently.
At present, it is mandatory for an officer of all India services--Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS)--to file their annual property returns under their service rules.
"It is requested that the strict compliance to the provisions of Rule 3(2) of Public Servants (Furnishing of Information and Annual Return of assets and the limits of Exemption of Assets in Filing Returns) Rules, 2014, may be ensured.

"Further, as per the proviso to Rule 3(2) supra instructions may be issued to ensure filing of revised declarations so that annual returns as on the August 1, 2014 are invariably filed by the AIS officers before the competent authority on or before September 15, 2014," an official memorandum issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to states and Union territory administrators said.
DoPT will also carry out changes in the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, which presently have provision for filing property returns once annually. The changes will be made to incorporate the new rules.
"The new Lokpal rules make it mandatory to file a revised return. The circular has been issued to ensure that officers give details in time," a senior DoPT official said.

IAS, IPS and IFoS officers working under the central government departments have also been told to file their revised property returns by September 15.

The Public Servants (Furnishing of Information and Annual Return of Assets and Liabilities and the Limits for Exemption of Assets in Filing Returns) Rules, 2014, were notified by DoPT recently.
As per the rules, notified under Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, every public servant shall file declaration, information and annual returns of his assets and liabilities as on March 31, every year, on or before July 31 of that year. However, for the current year, the last date of filing such returns have been decided as September 15.

According to the Lokpal Act, a public servant shall furnish to the competent authority information relating to the assets of which he, his spouse and his dependent children, jointly or severally, own.
DoPT has also developed an online system named Property Related Information System (PRISM) for IAS officers to file their revised property returns under the Lokpal Act.