More than 500 IPS officers, including DGPs and IGPs, have not yet filed their property details for 2016. This may cause the cancellation of vigilance clearance and denial of promotion. According to the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, all Indian Police Service officers are required to file their Immovable Property Return (IPR) in a prescribed format by January 31 every year. However, through March 31, 2017, only 3,390 IPS officers had filed IPR, out of the total cadre strength of 3,905 IPS officers. This has made the home ministry, which is the cadre controlling authority of IPS officers, direct all state governments and Union Territory administrations to seek explanations from all the IPS officers who have not filed their IPR. If erring officials persist with their defiance, the home ministry may have no choice but to take action against them. This could include denial of promotion and vigilance clearance. Many of the IPS officers who have failed to file their property returns are Director Generals of Police, Additional Directors General of Police and Inspector Generals of Police. According to the Public Servants (Furnishing of Information and Annual Return of Assets and Liabilities and the Limits for Exemption of Assets in Filing Returns) Amendment Rules, 2014, all central government employees except those working as peons or multi-tasking staff need to file property returns. The rules are also notified under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act. The government had also issued a form for filing these returns which also seeks declarations of cash in hand, bank deposits, investment in bonds, debentures, shares and units in companies or mutual funds, insurance policies, provident fund, personal loans and advance given to any person or entity, among others. The employees need to declare motor vehicles, aircraft, yachts or ships, gold and silver jewelry and bullion possessed by them, their spouses and dependent children, an official said.