In a bid to increase official integrity and transparency, the Uttar Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has given a strict ultimatum to over 17 lakh government employees: declare your assets, both movable and immovable, by August 31; otherwise, expect the consequences.
It has been made compulsory for all categories of officers and employees to upload their asset details on the Manav Sampada portal. Not heeding this directive will prevent the release of their salaries for the month of August and risk their promotion prospects in the future.
This asset disclosure order was to be effected as of December 31 last year. However, with a meager 26% employee compliance, the deadline was moved several times—first to June 30, then to July 31. Now, the heat is on, and the government has finally spoken on the issue in black and white, with Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh declaring on August 20 that payment for the month will not be made to those who did not submit their property details by August 31.
This step has received mixed responses: while the supporters have welcomed the outright ban on shogun, the members of the opposition Samajwadi party have accused the government of ‘inability to implement the order’ in the past. With success on the cards, party spokesperson Ashutosh Verma said the Yogi administration is now ‘on the back foot’ but attempting to set the right course for the mishandled second wave, which they were previously remiss on.
On the other hand, Minister Danish Azad Ansari justified the government, saying that this step is part of the ‘zero tolerance policy’ against corruption under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The government’s new order threatens the salaries of over 13 lahks of the total 17 lahks 88 thousand 429 state workers. The personnel department has written to all senior officials through the Principal secretary, M Devraj, to fully comply with the asset disclosure directive.
As the days and hours count down to August 31, poor government workers in Uttar Pradesh are pressed down with the dreadful feeling that they will suffer the backlash of not going to the polls. The state government’s desire to improve bureaucratic accountability is likely to put it at odds with its numerous employees.
