JAGATSINGHPUR: Jagatsinghpur has become the first district in the state to make public the assets and liabilities of its district administration officials as a step towards greater transparency and reforms.
The decision was effected on Tuesday on the occasion of 72nd Republic Day, following the State government approval of a proposal regarding submission of property declarations by government officials in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, last month.
It had been resolved in the meeting that all people's representatives and government staff would declare their assets and liabilities every year. The data would be placed in public domain and copy of the same would be sent to the State Lokayukta as well, the meeting had decided.
Subsequently, the district administration on January 9 had directed all officials to submit property declarations by January 31, most of which was uploaded on its official web portal on Tuesday.
Some of the government officials who submitted their assets and liability details are Collector Sangram Keshari Mohapatra, Assistant Collector Akshaya Badu, Deputy Collectors Ajaya Mohanty and Arundhati Patnaik, Kujang BDO Amiya Kumar Panda and the district social security officer Sambhunatha Rout.
Contacted, Collector Sangram Keshari Mohapatra said, "This is the first such initiative in the district. All officials will submit their property details by January 31."