Bihar's anti-corruption drive: Declare assets or go without salary, says Nitish

Patna, Jan 27, (ANI): In an attempt to weed out corruption, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has decided to withhold salaries of officials and employees who fail to declare assets held in their name and names of their kin.

This initiative of the Bihar Government is likely to make life difficult for officials, who have failed to abide by the government directive to declare their assets.

"Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service officials working with the Bihar Government will be required to furnish details of the property by 28 February. Class I, II and III officials of the state government will also have to abide by the directive," said Principal Secretary, General Administration Department, Deepak Kumar.

"Officials on leave or on deputation too will have to declare their property. The government will not entertain any plea seeking relaxation of the deadline on any ground," he added.

Apart from bank deposits, disclosure should have details of both moveable and immovable property besides investments made in share, bonds or debentures.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had set an example by declaring his assets, prompting his ministers to follow suit. Subsequently, the government asked IAS officials to make the disclosure by January 31, but the majority failed to do so.

Bihar Government has now made it clear that it was mandatory to make the disclosure by February 28.

While announcing the new deadline, the government has enforced prescription for IPS, IFS and other state government officials who will be required to submit details of their property to their parent/nodal departments or their higher ups by February 28.

"The Rajasthan Government has evinced interest in this connect. The concerned officials of the Rajasthan Government have made enquiries with us," said Deepak Kumar.

Earlier on December 31, all the 30 ministers in Bihar submitted the details of their assets to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, after he asked his cabinet colleagues to place records of their properties. (ANI)