J&K Govt employees asked to file APRs by Jan 31

Jammu, Dec 21: All the employees working under the Jammu and Kashmir government have been asked to file their Annual Property Returns (APRs) for the year 2023, on the PRS-portal between January 1 to 31, 2024.

In this connection, all the Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) have been asked to ensure registration of those employees, who have not yet registered on the PRS Portal. They have also been directed to ensure filing of property details by their cent percent employees, within the specified timelines.

“The portal will automatically close on January 31, 2024,” General Administration Department (GAD) Commissioner Secretary Sanjeev Verma has cautioned.

Notably, Sub Section 2 of Section 9 of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Men and Public Servants Declaration of Assets and other Provisions Act, 1983 lays down that it shall be incumbent on the part of every public servant to submit annual returns of the assets held by him and his family members in the month of January every year and shall indicate the reasons for increase, if any, in the assets and source thereof.

The Jammu and Kashmir Public Servants Declaration of Assets Act and Rules made thereunder provide for imposing a penalty for non-submission of the property returns by the public servants.

“It is further provided that if any public servant without any reasonable cause which he shall be required to show, fails to submit the return annually, he shall be guilty of committing criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act and shall be punishable under the said Act,” Verma has cautioned.

With a view to make the process of filing of property returns employee friendly, the Government of Jammu & Kashmir has launched online portal for filing of annual property returns (PRS-Portal) by each and every J&K Government Employee, as mandated under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Servants Declaration of Assets Act and Rules made thereunder and also as per the provisions of the Employees Conduct Rules, every
year ending December 31, by or before January 31 of the next calendar year.

“The non-submission of property returns by the employees shall invite action against them under the Prevention of Corruption Act, besides, shall result in denial of their Vigilance Clearance,” Verma has
stated.