By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 14 Jul: In a move to project transparency and accountability in the state bureaucracy, Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan has issued a stern warning to all government officials, directing them not to purchase any property without prior intimation, or permission of the government. The directive, issued today, reminds the officers of their obligation to disclose the source of funds for all new property acquisitions and to strictly adhere to the provisions of the Uttarakhand Government Servants’ Conduct Rules, 2002.
While the directive appears to be aimed at ensuring greater accountability among the senior officers, questions do remain on its efficacy, since such directives have been issued in the past too without much success.
This renewed emphasis on transparency followed persistent allegations and widespread speculation regarding several senior officers who have been allegedly acquiring assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. Sources claim that in numerous cases, such properties may have been purchased in the names of family members or benami holders in order to conceal their true ownership. Some of these cases have reportedly been referred to the State Vigilance Committee for preliminary inquiries though the number of reported cases is very low as compared to the actual dealings, further claim the sources.
In his letter, the Chief Secretary today made it unequivocally clear that government servants must not proceed with any immovable property transaction, whether in their own name or in the name of any family member, without first informing or obtaining prior sanction from the competent authority, as mandated by the conduct rules. He has also warned that any failure to do so would be treated as misconduct and would invite departmental action.
The circular reiterates existing rules which require government servants to declare all movable and immovable assets at the time of their appointment and thereafter every five years. In addition, they are required to file annual statements of their assets, a rule which, the letter suggested, has not been uniformly followed in recent years.
The warning assumes particular significance at a time when Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s administration has been projecting a firm stance of ‘zero tolerance’ towards corruption. Nevertheless, allegations of unexplained wealth among certain high-profile bureaucrats have continued to dent public confidence and pose reputational challenges for the government.
Sources within the Secretariat indicated that the Chief Secretary’s letter was not merely a procedural reminder, but a direct response to the growing unease over the perceived opaqueness in the financial dealings of some senior officials. The government claims that its move is both a preventive and corrective step aimed at restoring institutional credibility.
Whether this administrative push results in genuine transparency remains to be seen, but the warning has undoubtedly put the state’s top officials on notice.
