Declaration of asset by Got. servants in Odisha- At Cross-road

 

Declaration of Chief Minister  to make Property Statement of Govt. servants public -  Another Media Propaganda to deceive  the people  of Odisha- How

On the  one hand,  the  Govt.  does not allow  the  property statement  of  public servants  to be disclosed despite provision of Odisha Lokayukta Act,  on the  other hand Chief Minister   gives  emphasis  on  public  disclosure  of assets  by  the  Public Servants.  This  is sheer  mockery.

1.       As per  All India  Service  conduct Rules  and odisha Civil service  ( CC&A) Rules, 1962 , each Govt. servant is required  to   give  property statement  to  their   higher authority  in every  year.

 2.       As  per section 44 (2)   of the  Odisha Lokayukta Act,2014 ( Declaration of assets)-   A Public Servant  shall,  within a period  of thirty days from the  date on which  he makes  and subscribes  an oath or affirmation  to enter upon his office ,  furnish  to the  competent  authority  the  information relating  to

(a)     the assets  of which  he, his  spouse and his dependents  children  are are jointly, severally , owners of beneficiaries

(b)   His liabilities  and that  of  his spouse  and  his dependent  children

 Section 44 (3)- A Public  servant  holding his office   at the  time of commencement  of the Act  shall  furnish  information  relating  to such  assets  and liabilities  within ninety  days  of the  coming into force  of this Act.

Section 44(4)-  Every  public servant  shall file  with  the  competent  authority  on or  before  the  thirty-first July  of every  year, an annual report  such assets  and liabilities as on thirty-first  March  of that year.

Section 444(5) – This  information shall be  furnished  to the  competent  authority  in such  form  and in such manner  as may  be  prescribed

Section 44 (6)-  The  competent authority  in respect  of each  Department shall ensure  that all  such statements  are  published  on the website  of such department by thirty-first August of that year.

The analysis  of this  section is  that  Each  Public  authority  shall  file  their  property  statement with  the  competent  authority  by  thirty-first July  of every year   which  will  be  uploaded  in website by thirty-first August of every year.

 3.          Though  Odisha Lokayukta Act  was enacted  in 2014 ,  the  State Govt. notified on 7^th July 2018  for  enforcement  of the Act.

4.          On 13^th September, 2019, the  Govt. of Odisha amended  the  Act  as the Odisha Lokayukta ( amendment) Act, 2019 . Under  this  amendment, section 44 ( declaration of asset)  and  57( power to make Rules) ( k and i )  was amended making  provision  of  the  Rules to be  made for   prescribing  form and manner  of declaration of asset  and liabilities by the public servants under section 44 which will be enforced retrospectively i.e., implementation of the Act.  

5.        In the  meantime, The  Lokayukta, Odisha  has  presented to Govt.   a draft Rules i.e., The Odisha Public Servants (Furnishing of Information and Annual Return of Assets and Liabilities and the Limits for Exemption of Assets in Filing Returns) Rules, 2019   for  its  implementation. 

 

6.       Though two  years passed  since  implementation of the  Act,  the  State Govt. has not  yet framed the Rules  for   prescribing  form and manner  for  declaration of assets  by the  public servants.  This  is the  biggest  stumbling block  for  bringing  transparency  in  the administration.

7.       On the  one hand,  the  Govt.  does not allow  the  property statement  of  public servants  to be disclosed despite provision of Odisha Lokayukta Act,  on the  other hand Chief Minister   gives  emphasis  on  public  disclosure  of assets  by  the  Public Servants.  This  is sheer  mockery.

 

Prepared by Pradip Pradhan , M-9937843482

Date- 23.12.20