AGARTALA / NEW DELHI, May 6 (TIWN Excusive): MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) released latest data shows that 26 Tripura cadre IPS officers didn’t file IPR (immovable property disclosure) in 2015, in other words hiding their property and asset details. As per All-India Service (Conduct) rules, 1968, require officers to disclose these details when they join service and submit an annual property statement—listing properties and shares. Officers who do not submit property returns yearly in time will be “denied vigilance clearance” and will not be considered for promotion and empanelment (put on a short-list) for senior posts in Government of India, said a June 2012 home-ministry circular.

 Property declarations bring transparency, improves public confidence in the administration and ensures integrity of subordinates, said many officers.

An officer who does not declare assets is in no position to ask subordinates to do so, out of fear that their own illegal assets will be exposed, said 1981-batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer M N Vijaykumar, who retired in April 2015. Tripura's top IPS defaulters list headed by DGP K.Nagraj, who also was charge-sheeted by CBI in 2007 for misappropriation of assets case in Hyderabad. 

Tripura's other notable IPS defaulters include Puneet Rastogi, SP West Abhijit Saptarshi, SP Gomati Saraswati, then State cadre TPS to nominated IPS promotees Arindam Nath, Khatra Joy Reang, Krisnendu Chakraborty in MHA (Ministry of Hime Affairs) list of 2015. 

Arindam Nath, Krisnendu Chakraborty already labeled themselves as serial IPR defaulters like K.Nagraj since 2012.

But with no action taken against those who default, more officers default, a retired IPS officer told TIWN correspondent.

The home ministry can order departmental inquiries against defaulters or those who file wrong information, but not many such cases have been launched, said former Maharashtra Director General of Police Rahul Gopal.

Tripura IPS Defaulter's List :

MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs IPR defaulters List can be found in this link :

http://mha1.nic.in/ipr/iprmain.htm

 “Declaration of assets to the public is a way of telling the citizens that you have kept faith in me by permitting me to handle crores of rupees of public money for public use, and I have not exploited your trust,” said Vijaykumar.

Service rules require officers to file annual property returns from their date of appointment. But returns were made public only in 2011 on a government website, as the Hindustan Times reported  that year.

As per MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) released data, More than 28% officers of Indian Police Service (IPS) and about 14% officers of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) have not disclosed details of their immovable property for the year 2015, according to government data.

Following the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013 which provides for the establishment of a body of Lokpal for the Union and Lokayukta for states to inquire into allegations of corruption against public functionaries, officers must now reveal property details of their spouses and children as well.

Tripura’s each of 26 IPS defaulters knew very well the importance of filing IPR (immovable property record) by October 2015. 

Filing IPR is not voluntary, it’s a rule as per all-India Service (Conduct) rules, 1968, require officers to disclose these details when they join service and submit an annual property statement.

Not filing IPR or avoiding filing for years is a direct sign that those IPS officials intend to hide their wealth and assets, in other words a sign of dishonesty and brewing corruption.

Tripura’s ‘CLEAN” Chief Minister always very fond of ‘CLEAN” officials, so it’s no surprise that Manik Sarkar picked the most  tainted  CBI charge-sheeted  K.Nagraj to lead Tripura’s Police Force as DGP, who coincidently also achieved the top position in IPR defaulter list.

Note :(IPR IPS defaulters list is published by MHA – Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India. Not Tripura Infoway )