Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
is believed to have asked his cabinet colleagues to disclose
details about their assets and liabilities and refrain from
dealing with the government on immovable properties.
In a code of conduct for ministers of both Centre and
the State governments, it has been emphasised that details of
the assets should include particulars of all immovable
properties and the value of shares and debentures, cash
holdings and jewellery.
He is reported to have circulated a letter to all ministers about the same in December last year.
The ministers have also been advised to sever all
connections, short of divesting themselves of the ownership,
with the conduct and management of any business in which they
were interested before their appointment as ministers.
Although the code has no legal backing, still it is
expected of all ministers to scrupulously adhere to the code.
The authority for ensuring the observance of the code is
the Prime Minister in the case of Union ministers and the
Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister in the case of
Chief Ministers. State ministers should report to the Chief
Ministers.
The code also asks ministers to not start any new business after joining government. It requires that even the family members of the ministers not be involved with any business transactions of any PSU.
Not just that, if a family member of a minister aspires to join an MNC. it would warrant a go-ahead from the PMO.
Singh’s latest step is an initiative to ensure honesty in public life by political leaders and could be viewed as aimed at cleaning up corruption from the high offices.
Various Union cabinet ministers including Pranab Mukherjee have approved of the step taken by the PM.
-Agencies inputs
