Bureaucrats defy Yogi Adityanath diktat, yet to declare assets

Lucknow: Despite strict instructions and reminders by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, some 150 IAS officers in the state have not submitted complete details of their moveable and immovable assets.

The chief minister, according to sources, is keen to identify and segregate the “black sheep” in the cadre in order to refurbish the image of his government and prevent scams and scandals in the coming months.

The chief minister had asked bureaucrats on March 20 to submit details of their assets on the prescribed format within 15 days.

It is now over a month and 120 IAS officers have not given details of their movable assets while 30 have not disclosed their immovable assets.

A large number of officers belonging to the Provincial Civil Services have also not furnished their property details.

The chief secretary has summoned all departmental chiefs on May 3 to discuss the issue. Principal secretary of personnel and appointment Kamran Rizvi has also informed the bureaucrats that non-compliance of the chief minister’s directives would lead to “unhappy consequences”.

According to sources, most of the bureaucrats are shying away from furnishing their property details mainly because of the format they have been provided.

A senior official said that the format offers no leeway for the officials since everyone is required to give details of the movable and immovable property of their immediate and extended families and also the income of these members of the family.

“This implies that property bought in the name of father-in-law and sister-in-law will be under the scanner,” a retired IAS officer said.