Centre relaxes deadline for civil servants to furnish list of assets till December 31

IN A major relief to civil servants who have been trying to figure out how much assets they have including details such as the amount of gold jewellery etc. in their possession, the Centre has now extended the deadline from September 15 to December 31, 2014. There were reports that many civil servants were finding it tough to meet the deadline as…

Lokpal empowered to attach properties acquired by officials through corrupt means

THE properties acquired by officials through corrupt means will become government assets if the new draft Lokpal bill gets the Parliament nod in its current form. The Lokpal draft bill, approved by Union cabinet on Thursday, has a clear provision of empowering the Lokpal to attach property of public servants acquired through corrupt means.

Though the debate on the draft bill has so far been concentrated on exclusion of Prime Minister from its ambit, and Team Anna calling it Jokepal, the draft has however included in its ambit any Group A officer or equivalent and chairperson or member or officer equivalent to Group A in any body, board, corporation, authority, company, society, trust or autonomous body established by an Act of Parliament or wholly or partly financed by the Central government.

According to the draft bill, the Lokpal will inquire into allegations of corruption made in respect of Prime Minister, after he has demitted office, a minister of the Union; a Member of Parliament apart from all Group A officers.

Action and Appointments

a) On an expected line, Pulok Chatterji, a 1974 batch UP cadre IAS officer, presently Executive Director in World Bank, will be Principal Secretary to Prime Minister with effect from the October 3, 2011. Current incumbent TKA Nair, has been appointed as adviser to Prime Minister. Nair will continue to hold the rank and status of a minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office with effect from the October 3, 2011.

b) Pankaj Agarwal, a 1978 batch UP cadre IAS, presently in the cadre, has been appointed as additional secretary in the department of consumer affairs in place of Rakesh Kacker, a 1977 batch Tamil Nadu cadre IAS.