Kathmandu, July 4

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration issued a circular to the bodies under its jurisdiction, Department of Civil Personnel Records, Department of Local Infrastructure Development and Agricultural Roads and district development committees, requesting them to impose a fine of Rs 5,000 each, on employees failing to submit property details for the fiscal 2017-18, on time.

The Internal Management Section of the MoFAGA directed the concerned offices to penalise erring employees, in response to the June 28 letter of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority. An employee who has failed to submit his/her property details for 2017-18 will have to pay the fine within 30 days from the receipt of the letter and disclose property details within the next 30 days.

The MoFAGA has also provided the concerned offices with the names of 190 office-bearers who did not disclose their property details on time. They are from the offices under the jurisdiction of MoFAGA. They include under-secretaries, non-gazetted third class officers, engineers, computer operators, typists, sub-engineers, overseers, former village development committee secretaries, accountants and veterinary doctors.

Concerned offices have been asked to impose the fine on the employees and inform the CIAA of the action taken against the erring staffers. As per the Prevention of Corruption Act-2002, a person joining a public office is required to submit the statement of property in his/her or his/her family members’ name, along with sources of income to the body prescribed by the government within 60 days from the date of joining the office, and thereafter within 60 days from the date of completion of each fiscal.

The concerned body or authority may extend the deadline for submission of property details for a maximum of 30 days. If the person assuming public office does not submit the statement of property within the extended time limit, he/she will be liable to a fine of Rs 5,000 and the concerned body or official may initiate investigation into the property in his/her and his/her family members’ names.

Earlier, the National Vigilance Centre had sent personal details of 19,134 civil servants, and employees of the Nepali Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force to the anti-graft body for legal action as they failed to submit their property details for fiscal 2017-18.