Lucknow: Even as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has given an ultimatum to his ministerial colleagues to furnish their property details by tomorrow or action could be taken against them, now the BJP government has issued guidelines to its Ministers for running a clean and transparent government. In its eight-point guidelines, the Chief Minister has asked the Ministers to follow them in letter and spirit. The Yogi government in the state today completed its one month in office and is also holding its third cabinet meeting this evening to take decision on some more policy matters. According to sources here, the prominent guidelines issued are that a state minister cannot accept a gift worth over Rs 5,000 from anyone and if he or she do accept then it will have to be deposited to the government.
The guidelines read: A minister cannot accept a bag or any other such thing and they have to keep themselves away from lavish parties besides they cannot purchase government properties. UP ministers should keep themselves away from the relatives who are working as a private contractor and they cannot take any loan that can affect the government. Besides, they will stay in government guest houses during their official visits and tour while every year by March 31, they will have to submit their assets detail, it said. After taking charge on March 19, the Chief Minister held an introductory meeting of his Council of Ministers and asked them to submit their asset details to the Government as well as party office. The announcement regarding this was made by Government spokesman Sidhartha Nath Singh in a press conference.
A senior government official said majority of the ministers have not given their property detail to the government. 'They were supposed to give the same by April 3. When the issue was brought to the notice of Chief Minister he has again asked ministers to furnish details within next three days,' the official said. Till now only 13 ministers have submitted their asset detail out of the total 46. There seems to be some confusion among the ministers on the matter as a senior leader said he has no knowledge that about to whom ministers should submit their asset reports. A minister on condition of anonymity said that he had submitted the asset report authenticated by CA to Chief Secretary last week but was rejected saying it is the same report which I had furnished to Election Commission during election. 'Officials should send a circular how to submit the report and what is the format.
If the format is different from that of Election Commission the same should be communicated to us. I will take up the issue with CM,' he said. Another minister said he was so busy with official work that he forgot. 'I am not getting time even for my family and party workers who helped me during election,' he said. The previous Samajwadi Party government too asked its ministers to file their assets details but it failed as most of the ministers did not comply. (UNI)
