Ranchi, March 17: The state government will issue show-cause notices to all Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS) officials from Jharkhand who have failed to declare their assets in the past.
The state government announced this decision in the House today while replying to a query raised by Congress MLA Madhav Lal Singh.
State HRD minister Hemlal Murmu informed the House today that in 2009, only 33 IAS officers, out of a cadre strength of about 100, declared their property, while only 15 IPS officers among 100 and 16 IFS officials out of 130 declared their assets in 2009.
The figures were more or less same in the year 2008 and 2007 when the majority of IAS, IPS and IFS officials failed to declare their properties.
According to the government’s written information to the House, the IPS officers who did not care to declare their assets in the last three years include superintendents of the majority of districts, special secretary in home department, Amitabh Choudhary, Zonal IG Rezi Dungdung, and DIGs M. S. Bhatia and M. K. Mishra, among others.
The list of IAS officers who did not declare their assets in the last three years include Sunil Kumar (West Singhbhum deputy commissioner), DCs Rahul Kumar Purwar (Latehar), Manish Ranjan (Pakur), Kripanand Jha (Jamtara), Beela Rajesh (former Dhanbad DC, now on central deputation), agriculture secretary A. P. Singh, sports secretary R. S. Verma, HRD secretary Mridula Sinha, water resource secretary R. S. Poddar and planning secretary Sudhir Prasad, among others.
Murmu said a show-cause would be the first step towards tightening the noose around officials whose cases may be referred for the Centre’s consideration if the state found their replies unsatisfactory.
Speaker C. P. Singh intervened to enquire what powers the state government enjoyed when it came to taking action against such erring officials.
As far as declaration of assets is concerned, an IAS officer said the exercise was rhetoric and customary.
“There is a standard format that has to be filled up. The declaration includes details of the previous and current fiscal,” he said.
