Clarification on Property Returns by Babus
GOVERNMENT had amended Public Servants (Furnishing of Information and Annual Return of Assets and Liabilities and the Limits for Exemption of Assets in Filing Returns) Amendment Rules, 2014, extending the time limit for filing of revised returns by all public servants from 31st December, 2014 to 30th April, 2015.
Government clarifies that the requirement of filing of property returns under the existing Conduct Rules is an independent requirement under the applicable rules and the same can be dispensed with, only by amending those rules. In other words, the requirement of filing returns of assets and liabilities under the applicable Conduct Rules has to continue, till such time as the provisions of those rules are harmonised with the relevant provisions of the Lokpal Act and the rules framed.
Government wants all Ministries/Departments/cadre authorities to ensure that:
(a) necessary follow-up action for harmonising the provisions of the relevant rules relating to all categories of public servants (as defined in the Act) falling under their respective jurisdiction/administrative/cadre control is completed within the revised time limit of 18 months from the date of coming into force of the Act, i.e., 16.01.2014, as now provided in the Order dated 26th December, 2014 (i.e., on or before 15th July, 2015), positively; and
(b) all public servants falling under their respective jurisdiction / administrative/cadre control, continue filing their annual property returns under the existing provisions of the applicable Conduct Rules [such as the AIS (Conduct) Rules, CCS (Conduct) Rules, etc.,] till such time as the exercise as indicated in (a) above is completed and the relevant service rules are brought in line with the provisions of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 and the rules framed thereunder.