STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: A section of ACS (Assam Civil Service) officers are reluctant to submit their annual property returns to the government on time. Some of them have not yet submitted the property returns for 2021. According to guidelines, they were to submit their annual property returns that year by January 31, 2022.
The Personnel Department issued a notification in December 2021 asking all ACS officers to submit their annual property returns 2021, by January 31, 2022, in two formats, one for immovable property and the other for movable property. Only a few ACS officers submitted their annual property returns to the government within the stipulated time. Ten months have elapsed after the expiry of the deadline. However, over 100 ACS officers have not yet submitted their annual property returns for 2021.
Barring the recently recruited ones, the state administration has around 800 ACS officers. Among them, 697 have submitted their annual returns for their immovable property, and 645 have submitted annual returns for movable property.
The State Government has an online portal to submit annual property returns to the ACS officers. The portal remains open throughout the year. It has seemly rendered the deadline for the submission of property returns meaningless. The need of the hour for the government is to rethink how it can make all ACS officers meet the deadline for submitting their annual property returns.
The ACS officers who do not submit annual property returns in time hit hurdles in vigilance clearance, promotion, empanelment for senior-level posts, deputation for foreign service, permission for foreign tours, permission for bank loans, NOC for passports etc.
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