Kathmandu, January 11

Though the number government employees furnishing their property details increased in the fiscal 2015/16 compared to the last fiscal, many of them still seem reluctant to fulfill the legal requirements for transparency.

Of the total 4,34,716 civil servants, army and police personnel, teachers, professors and local body staffers, 4,15,503 submitted their property details in 2015/16 against 3,38,247 out of 3,61,107 in the last fiscal.

According to a figure published by National Vigilance Centre, those failing to disclose their property details decreased to 19,213 (4.41 per cent) in 2015/16 from 22,860 (6.33 per cent) in the last fiscal.

Those who did not disclose their property details in 2015/16 include 4,416 civil servants, 10,215 teachers and professors, 2,613 Nepali Army personnel, 492 police personnel and 1,477 others (from corporations, boards and commissions).

As per the Prevention of Corruption Act-2002, any person who joins public office is, within 60 days from the date of joining such office and thereafter within 60 days from the date of completion of each fiscal year, required to submit an updated statement of property in his/her or his/her family members’ name along with sources or evidence thereof.

The concerned body or authority may extend the deadline for submission of such details for a maximum of 30 days.

If the person assuming public office does not submit the statement of property within the time-limit extended, he/she will be liable to a fine of Rs 5,000 and the concerned body or official may launch investigation into the property in his/her and his/her family members’ names.

The NVC said it has written to the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority to initiate legal action against employees failing to submit their property details.