Further non-compliance may lead to disciplinary proceedings
Vigilance clearance to be denied for late submission
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 2: Several IAS officers of Jammu and Kashmir cadre are openly flouting the instructions of Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) of Government of India and General Administration Department (GAD) of Union Territory on online filing of Immovable Property Returns (IPRs) despite being aware of the fact that non-compliance may lead to disciplinary proceedings and denial of vigilance clearance.
The Department of Personnel and Training of Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions vide D.O No.6 (1)2014-EO (PR) dated December 22, 2016 intimated that because of submission of hard copies of Immovable Property Returns certain problems like IPR getting lost in transition, IPR though submitted but not up-loaded by the State Government, IPR without date uploaded in the system, ante-dating of IPR etc are being faced.
In order to avoid such problems, it was decided to introduce online filing of IPRs for which a module was designed and made operational with effect from January 1, 2017 to enable the IAS officers to file the returns online.
Accordingly, All India Service officers working in connection with the affairs of Jammu and Kashmir Government were informed by the General Administration Department vide circular dated January 27, 2017 to take note of these instructions and act accordingly.
It is pertinent to mention here that as per Rule 16 (2) of All India Service (Conduct) Rules, 1968, the IAS officers are required to submit their Immovable Property Returns every year as on January 1 and latest by January 31.
As there was no compliance from several IAS officers of J&K cadre, the General Administration Department vide Circular No.25 dated April 23, 2019 observed, “many officers have not submitted their IPRs for the year 2018 electronically but have submitted hard copy manually. In terms of the extant rules, the IAS officers have to necessarily file IPRs electronically as there is no provision for submission of IPRs manually”.
Accordingly, the IAS officers working in connection with the affairs of J&K were advised to observe the instructions in letter and spirit. These instructions were reiterated vide Circular No.9 dated December 12, 2019 with the hope that there would not be any further non-compliance.
Much to the disappointment of Department of Personnel and Training and General Administration Department, several IAS officers have not started acting on the repeated instructions issued since 2017.
This can be gauged from the latest circular issued by Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, Commissioner Secretary to the Government, General Administration Department, which states: “It has been observed that many IAS officers have not submitted their IPRs for the year 2018 and 2019 electronically despite being aware of the fact that there is no provision for submission of IPRs manually”, adding “this department has issued various circulars from time to time but there is no strict compliance”.
“The non-compliance to repeated instructions is notwithstanding the fact that failure whereof constitutes good and sufficient reason for institution of disciplinary proceedings”, the Commissioner Secretary said, adding “an online manual which has been introduced with effect from January 1, 2017 closes automatically after the prescribed timeline of January 31 every year in respect of filing of IPR of proceeding year electronically”.
Through the latest circular it has also been brought to the notice of non-complying IAS officers that timely submission of IPRs has assumed significance as in terms of Department of Personnel and Training instructions late submission of IPR results in denial of vigilance clearance.
All these IAS officers have been asked to follow the instructions in letter and spirit as the possibility of DoPT taking serious view in case of further non-compliance cannot be ruled out, sources said, adding “the All India Service officers should be role model for Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service officers as similar mechanism has also been devised for KAS officers by the General Administration Department recently”.
It is pertinent to mention here that after filing the returns online, the officers would have to authenticate the same by using the digital signature certificates already issued to them under SPARROW.
It is hoped that all the defaulting IAS officers would ensure compliance and won’t compel either the DoPT or the General Administration Department to issue more circular instructions on the subject.
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