Govt staff to disclose assets by Sept 30 or go without salary

Lucknow: The Sept salary of UP govt employees will be withheld if they fail to disclose the details of their movable and immovable property assets by the month end, according to a recent govt order issued by UP chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh.Singh, in the order issued on Sept 19, noted that despite clear directions issued on Sept 3, as many as 7,19,807 out of 8,44,374 employees (85%) have registered on the ‘Manav Sampada Portal' and disclosed their property details (till 2023), while 15% were still erring on the procedure. Officials said that the govt was in the process of updating the data which would eventually be used to hold salaries of erring employees. Sources said that approximately 90% of the employees have provided the required details as on date, and it is being updated.Singh has directed the Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) to conduct a timely review of employees abiding by the aforesaid order. The DDO will also be made accountable in case of lapse, the CS said in the order. In case the details submitted by the employee are not reflected on the portal, then the nodal officer would get in touch with the National Informatics Centre (NIC). Exemptions, if any, given to employees, may also be mentioned on the portal.UP govt's hardened stance, sources said, reflects the state's growing emphasis on transparency and accountability among its work force. This, officials said, also reinforces the need for regular and accurate declarations of assets by all state employees.Initially, the state had planned to withhold the salaries of employees who failed to comply with the asset declaration requirement by Aug. At that time, only around 70% of the employees complied with the order. Following requests by various state govt employees for more time, the govt decided to offer an extension.