More than 1.3 million UP Government Employees Could Face Salary Cuts Due to New Directive

The state government of Uttar Pradesh has implemented a new directive requiring government employees to declare their moveable and immovable assets on the government portal, Manav Sampada, by August 31. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in the withholding of salaries and affect promotions for the employees. The initial deadline for this declaration, issued in August of the previous year, was December 31. However, the deadline has been extended multiple times, with only 26 percent compliance.

With more than 13 lakh employees yet to disclose their asset details, the latest directive serves as an ultimatum for non-compliant individuals. Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh has emphasized that only those who provide details of their properties by August 31 will receive payment for the month, while salaries of non-compliant employees will be stopped. The government justifies this measure as a means to enhance transparency and accountability, in line with a zero tolerance policy towards corruption under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Minister Danish Azad Ansari echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability.

The move has faced criticism from the opposition, with the Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ashutosh Verma pointing out that the multiple deadline extensions reflect a failure by the state government to effectively implement its order. The requirement applies to all categories of officers and employees, and non-compliance will result in the employees being ineligible for promotions. The Principal Secretary of the personnel department, M Devraj, has disseminated the order to all relevant authorities, including Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, and Department Heads. This directive aims to enhance transparency and accountability within the government and ensure compliance with asset disclosure requirements among government employees.