UP minister for urban development and minority welfare Mohd Azam Khan has dropped another bombshell.
The minister has directed all the employees of his departments to declare their assets, as well as that of their families, within 15 days.
In two letters written to principal secretary, urban development, and secretary, minority welfare, the minister has said that all officials, barring Class 4 employees, must divulge the details of movable and immovable properties in their own names or those in the names of the spouse and children.
The copies of the letters had been sent to the chief secretary and the principal secretary to the chief minister.
The minister has further warned that if the officials and employees do not declare their assets within the given time frame, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) would be asked to probe their assets.
Mohd Azam Khan said that due to corruption, the image of the departments had been tarnished and it was necessary that all officials should come clean about their assets.
Though the move is designed to check corruption in the departs, it has expectedly caused a furore among the employees in the two departments.
Talking to this correspondent on Thursday, a senior official in the urban development department said that the order was discriminative since it targeted only officials and employees in two government department.
“We do not doubt the intention behind the order but it should apply to all officials in the state government. Why should only employees in these two departments be asked to comply with the diktat?” he asked. A number of Class 2 and 3 employees in the urban development and minority welfare departments were equally upset at the minister’s letter.