JOIN USThe government may wield the stick. But trust the elite IAS and KAS officers not to bow to the baton.
They have continued to flagrantly refuse to file mandatory immovable property returns (IPRs). So much so that, non-filing of immovable property returns seems to have become the norm rather than the exception among a majority of bureaucrats.
Deterrence, in the form of monetry pentalities or even invoking the administrative penal clauses for failure to do so, seems to have seen no salutary effect nor made the adamant see reason and obey the rule of law.
As per reports, it is learnt that as many as 581 IAS officers from the Karnataka cadre have failed to file their IPRs within stipulated time for the current financial year 2012-2013.
Further, according to officials, as many as three KAS officers, in the past one year, have been levied a monetary fine for failing to file their IPRs within stipulated time. However, such has been their audaciousness in being defiant, say officials, that they would rather forego their promotions to protect their “ill-gotten” wealth.
Increasingly, officials said, it is found that administrative penalties have failed to put an end to the prevalent practice. In most cases, we consider there may have been genuine delays given their hectic schedules.
“We do give bureaucrats grace period of two months, till the end of financial year. But while ‘one can take the horse to the water, one cannot make it drink’,” they said.