Union Government notified Public Servants Rules, 2014

The Union Government in the third week of July 2014 notified Public Servants (Furnishing of Information and Annual Return of Assets and Liabilities and the Limits for Exemption of Assets in Filing Returns) Rules, 2014.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions notified the rules under Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.

As per the Public Servants Rules 2014, it has been made mandatory for all Government employees to file declarations of their assets and liabilities and those of their spouses and dependent children.

Declarations to Be Made under Public Servants Rules, 2014
• New forms for filing the returns have been issued by the Government. The forms will seek information on cash in hand, bank deposits, investment in bonds, debentures, shares and units in companies or mutual funds, insurance policies, provident fund, personal loans and advance given to a person or any entity, among others.
• As per the rules of the Act, the employees will have to declare motor vehicles, aircraft, yachts or ships, gold and silver jewellery and bullion possessed by them, their spouses and dependent children.
• They should also give detail of their immovable properties and statement of debts and other liabilities on first appointment or as on March 31 of every financial year.
• These declarations are in addition to such returns being filed by the government employees under various services rules.
• The employees, who have already filed their declarations, information and annual returns of property, shall file revised declarations as on 1 August 2014, to the competent authority on or before 15 September 15 2014.

However, the competent authority may exempt a public servant from filing the information in respect of any asset if its value does not exceed his or her four months basic pay or two lakh rupees, whichever is higher.

The Union Government is also under the process of modifying other rules, including the ones associated with search committee's working.

The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013
The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act was given asset by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee on 1 January 2014. The Act provides for establishing Lokpal for the Union as well as Lokayuktas for the States in order to inquire the corruption charges against Government officials.

According to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 a public servant shall furnish to the competent authority the information relating to the assets of which he, his spouse and his dependent children, jointly or severally, own. He is also mandated to declare his liabilities and that of his spouse and his dependent children, as per the Act.

If you have any Question/Point on the above information, please ask/discuss it in the Current Affairs Group