The Uttar Pradesh government has extended the deadline for over 2.44 lakh state employees who have yet to submit their asset declarations. Initially, the state had announced plans to withhold the salaries of employees who failed to comply with the asset declaration requirement by August.

However, following requests from various employees for more time, the government has decided to offer an extension and provide options to different departments.

Previously, the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh, Manoj Singh, had instructed all state employees to declare their movable and immovable assets on the "Manav Sampada" portal by August 31.

By the stipulated deadline, only 71% of the state's 846,640 government employees had complied with this directive, amounting to 602,075 employees who successfully submitted their asset details.

The remaining employees, who did not meet the deadline, have now been granted additional time to complete their declarations.

Several departments, including Textiles, Sainik Kalyan (Welfare of Soldiers), Energy, Sports, Agriculture, and Women's Welfare, have shown compliance and submitted their asset details. However, other key departments, such as Basic Education, Higher Education, Medical Health, Industrial Development, and Revenue, are yet to fully comply with the directive.

Chief Secretary Manoj Singh clarified that salaries have not been withheld, as previously planned. Instead, a more lenient approach has been adopted, allowing various departments to submit their asset declarations according to the newly provided timelines.

The Uttar Pradesh government has emphasised that the submission of asset details is a mandatory requirement, aimed at ensuring transparency and preventing corruption within the state administration.

Source: India Today