Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 10:
Cracking the whip against corrupt practices in the higher echelons of the Government Departments, the State Government has started working out the modalities of booking officers whose assents are disproportionate to their known source of income.
Disclosing this to The Sangai Express, a highly placed source said that the new initiative has been taken up under the personal directives of Chief Secretary Jarnail Singh adding that the Chief Secretary took up the new measures following numerous inputs of officers having assets well beyond their known source of income.
Towards this end, the Chief Secretary has asked the Additional Chief Secretary, Principal Secretaries, Commissioners and Secretaries to file their property returns till December 31, last year.
Written intimations in this regard have been sent, said the source.
The Chief Secretary explicitly stated that the State Govt wants to check the annual property returns of all officers and added that if they had submitted their returns, then they may confirm with the office of the Chief Secretary.
A number of officers are yet to submit their property return reports, said the source and added that in some cases, assets disproportionate to the known sources of income of some officers have been detected.
Meanwhile discussions have started on the possibility of launching an additional resource mobilization drive to help the State improve its financial positions ahead of the next fiscal as well as to favorably aid in preparing the Plan Size.
Principal Secretary (Finance) RC Mishra has already asked all heads of department to study and plug the loopholes in tax collection.
The Principal Secretary has also invited suggestions and inputs for revising the taxes and to give more teeth to tax administration, further informed the source.