One Out Of Seven IAS Officers Claim No Property during Tax Filing

BENGALURU: An average of one out of seven IAS officers who file immoveable property returns (IPR) claimed they have no property in form of land, house or building, while filing returns to the centre in 2014. A total of 3600 IAS officers claimed the same.

Statewise Uttar Pradesh leads the list with 57, Madhya Pradesh stands with 42 and AGMUT(Arunachal Goa Mizoram and Union Territory) with 37. Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu stands at fourth and fifth position respectively.

"It is possible for 14.5percent of the officers not to have any property but I won't think it is credible. It is a somewhat high number for officials or their spouses not to have any property," said Former chief information commissioner and erstwhile bureaucrat Wajahat Habibullah.

Habibullah added that the officers might not have properties at the beginning of their career but by mid-career they own one.

A website that aims to make public data more meaningful to citizens, Faclty.in, brings out 661 of 3,865 has failed at least once in filing returns. 3,865 out of 4,526 IAS officials filed tax returns since 2012, as confirmed by department of personnel and training (DoPT).

2013 is the worst year with maximum number of defaulters – 83.7percent. That year, Tripura stood at last with 38.2pct compliance. 100 percent compliance was last made in 1977.

According to Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, every government employee needs to file declaration, information and annual returns for his properties as on March 31, every year, on or before July 31.

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