5 days Ago
Bengaluru: With a rising number of its officials being raided or caught for possessing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income, the state govt has stepped in to tighten the noose. In a fresh move to rein in errant public servants , the govt Friday issued a circular mandating that all department heads must immediately provide asset and liability details of their subordinates and their dependants whenever sought by the Lokayukta . This follows repeated complaints from the anti-corruption body that some departments were failing to comply with the requirement during inquiries under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
"The heads of all departments and competent authorities should provide the details of the assets and liabilities of public servants and their dependants without any delay whenever the Lokayukta seeks them. They will be held responsible for any delay or failure in furnishing the information," the circular reads. The department of personnel and administrative reforms (DPAR), which issued the order, referred to a letter from the registrar of the Karnataka Lokayukta in Dec 2024.
In the letter, the Lokayukta highlighted that several departments and competent authorities had not furnished the asset details requested for corruption inquiries. Amid growing concerns over the lack of transparency, the Lokayukta also suggested that the govt direct all department heads to host such declarations online, making them accessible to the institution. The circular cited the orders issued in 1974 and 1981—originally meant for the now-defunct Vigilance Commission—stating that these are also applicable to the current Lokayukta setup.
In addition to compliance during inquiries, the govt is also cracking down on officials who fail to file their annual statements of assets and liabilities with the Lokayukta, which is now a mandatory requirement. The directive comes in the wake of multiple high-profile raids on officials, mainly belonging to revenue-earning departments, where authorities have unearthed wealth far beyond declared incomes. Public representatives, mainly MLAs and MLCs, are also expected to submit their assets and liabilities statements to maintain transparency.
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