Though government employees in Jammu & Kashmir had not taken seriously the orders on filing “property returns” but J&K Government’s tough posturing on this count has left no scope for them to shown inability to file “Property returns” in given time. By fixing a deadline for filing “property returns” for it’s employees the Jammu & Kashmir Government has sent out a strong message to it’s employees on institutional accountability and this decision would by all standards of understandabilities not only ease the job of J&K Anti-Corruption Bureau (J&K ACB) in framing charges in disproportionate assets cases against employees of doubtful integrity but would also reduce the tendencies of employees to build assets disproportionate to their sources of income. Though employees were previously also obliged to submit “property returns” annually but successive popular governments of erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir state were not taking as serious the non compliance of employees on “ property return” filing as it has been taken by the present government. In previous years only officers of All India Services and local services of J&K Government used to file “property returns” strictly in time but most of the other employees had set a dismal record of not filing “property returns” annually in time. Though it is in the interests of the employees to file “property returns” annually but since the government had not enforced strictly the annual practice of filing “property returns” on it’s employees, most of the employees barring the officers of All India and local services of J&K Government won’t file “property returns” annually and Government would also never ever seek explanations for non compliance from them on this count.
After complying the orders on filing “property returns” annually the employees would consequently understand the very spirit of accountability in filing “property returns” without any fail and as such they would also understand the spirit of accountability in their concerned departments in coming few years. The filing of “property returns” annually by employees won’t only take forward the process of accountability in government departments but would also reduce the intensity of corruption in public offices across Jammu & Kashmir.
What matters the most is online facility for submitting the “property returns” annually as online facility has eased the process of filing “property returns” for the employees in Jammu & Kashmir from now onwards. Since the employees have been also threatened to comply in the given time or face action, they are left with no choice but to file their “property returns” in time annually. After complying the orders on filing “property returns” annually the employees would consequently understand the very spirit of accountability in filing “property returns” without any fail and as such they would also understand the spirit of accountability in their concerned departments in coming few years. The filing of “property returns” annually by employees won’t only take forward the process of accountability in government departments but would also reduce the intensity of corruption in public offices across Jammu & Kashmir.
