Govt directs officials, employees to submit wealth info by Dec 31

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Doulot Akter Mala
The government has directed all its officials and employees to submit wealth statements by December 31 next to their respective ministries, departments and directorates.
The ministry of establishment recently issued a circular in this connection.
The circular, dated August 28, said: "The government has taken the decision aiming to enhance its on-going anti-corruption drive as well as ensure accountability and efficiency in the government service."
According to a code of conduct of government officers and employees, framed in 1979, a government officer/employee has to submit statements on his or her property and assets both movable and immovable to the government from beginning to retirement of his service, the circular said.
But the instruction remained largely unheeded and this has required for the government to issue the circular, it said.
The government officers and employees will have to prepare their wealth statements as per code of conduct framed in 1979, the circular said.
The government officers and employees are supposed to declare the statistics relating to increase and decrease of their wealth after every five year period. But, it has been found that the government service holders did not follow the rules properly, sources said.
In the backdrop, the government has asked them to submit the statements of sell and purchase of movable and immovable wealth under rule 11(1) followed by building construction under rule 12 and declaration of wealth under rule 13.
In the circular, the government ordered all the ministries, departments and directorates to follow the instruction with proper compliance.
The government has taken the first-ever move of its kind to address allegations of widespread corruption within the government, an official source said.
The objective of the move is to have an idea of assets possessed by government officials and employees, often blamed for amassing wealth through unfair means, he added.