Top bureaucrats omit property details in latest asset declarations
A review by The Indian Express shows many Secretary-level officials failed to disclose dimensions or values of self-acquired properties.
A review by The Indian Express shows that many top-ranking officials have omitted essential details in their mandatory immovable asset declarations. Of the 102 Secretary-level officials whose filings were accessed from official portals on March 31, 2026, 115 of the 244 declared self-acquired properties did not include dimensions or area details. Additionally, 115 properties lacked a current value.
The reviewed declarations included 219 residential, three commercial, and 22 agricultural land parcels. While the present value column was filled for 129 properties, others listed entries such as "not known", "not valuated", or "as per circle rate".
Among the 102 officials, 44 own three or more self-acquired properties. One Secretary-rank IAS officer declared eight self-acquired properties, including seven in Kerala and one in Meghalaya. Another Secretary-rank IAS officer declared six properties located in Maharashtra, UP, and Delhi.
The group of 102 officials includes 95 Central Government department Secretaries and Chief Secretaries from 28 states and eight Union Territories. The officials include nine scientists, five from the Indian Foreign Service, and three from the IPS.
Under conduct rules, bureaucrats must update the immovable assets of themselves, their spouses, and dependents by January 31 each year. Public disclosure of these returns began in 2011. The Cabinet Secretariat and the Department of Personnel and Training did not respond to queries regarding verification mechanisms or the status of rules promised under the Lokpal Act.