IMMOVABLE PROPERTY RETURNS: Non-compliance by Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS, IPS officers declining
Only one on the list of 542 IAS and five on the list of 445 IPS officers of the U.P. cadre have not filed their IPRs as indicated on January 1, 2025
Most Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS (Indian Administrative Service) and IPS (Indian Police Service) officers have filed their Immovable Property Returns (IPRs) as they are required to do every year under the rules.
Only one on the list of 542 IAS and five on the list of 445 IPS officers of Uttar Pradesh cadre have not filed their IPRs as indicated on January 1, 2025.
This indicates that the number of IAS and IPS officers filing their IPRs has gone up considerably vis-a-vis the IPRs as on January 1, 2024 when eight IAS and 16 IPS officers did not file their IPRs.
A close study of the IPRs filed in the past few years, as available for public view on the websites of the department of personnel and training of the Union ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions for IAS (https://dopt.gov.in/immovable-property-return-ipr) and the Union ministry of home affairs for IPS (https://ips.gov.in/ips_ipr.aspx), indicates a declining number of IAS/IPS officers not filing their IPRs within the stipulated time.
Earlier, 22 IAS and 48 IPS officers had not filed their IPRs as on January 1, 2023. The number of those who did not file their IPRs was 47 for IAS on January 1, 2022, 64 on January 1, 2021 and 77 on January 1, 2020.
On the other hand, the count of IPS officers not filing their IPRs was 76 on January 1, 2022, 69 on January 1, 2021 and 85 on January 1, 2020.
Those aware of the development said the officers posted on the top positions with the state government, be it the chief minister’s office, the office of chief secretary or the director general of police, have filed their mandatory IPRs. Besides listing the property/properties owned by the officers or shared with spouses, the officers have also given details of properties they have bought/inherited/leased or share with their siblings or in-laws.
A few officers have filled nil in the columns of the given format, indicating they don’t own any immovable property.
All the members of All India Services are required to file their Immovable Property Returns under the provisions of Rule 16(2) of All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968. The officers have to file the IPR in the prescribed format by January 31 of every year in respect of the previous year ending December 31. The prescribed format requires the officers to declare the place (village, city/district where the property is situated), type of property (house, land or building), cost of construction (when purchased), including the cost of land in case of a house, present values, relationship to the owner if not in own name, how the property was acquired/bought/leased/mortgaged and annual income from property. The officers have been asked to indicate approximate value if the present value of the property cannot be assessed accurately.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) issued guidelines on 29.10.2007 and amended them on 7.9.2011, indicating that vigilance clearance shall be denied to an officer for failing to submit Immovable Property Return of the previous year latest by January 31 of the following year.
The state government has also given directives to all the officers/employees to mandatorily declare their assets. A senior officer of the state government’s personnel department said about 90% of Uttar Pradesh government officers and employees have declared their assets up to now.
