The government has extended indefinitely the July 31 deadline for all central government employees and directors and trustees in non-governmental organisations to declare their assets, reported NDTV. The amendment was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday without any discussion. The Act makes it mandatory for all public servants, their spouses and children to declare their assets and liabilities, according to The Indian Express.

The bill will be referred to the Parliamentary standing Committee which will review Section 44, following which it will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha for approval. The government had recently notified NGOs that all office holders of all such organisations receiving more than Rs 1 crore from the Centre as financial aid or more than Rs 10 lakh as donations from abroad will be considered public servants. According to the notice, all such employees will fall under the purview of the Act.

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Following the circular, legislators of various political parties met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and sought their intervention in the matter. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said, "It cannot be rammed down the throat of those who disagree… If the government does it, as it appears to have been doing on certain issues and certain clauses, and this government has acquired an identity of… being insensitive to concerns of NGOs… then this government will face a lot of difficulty.”

Social activists have criticised the government's move and pointed out that that new rule will discourage people who take up honorary positions in NGOs as a pro-bono service. The Opposition has accused the government of diluting the Lokpal Act by introducing such amendments. However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar, contended, "There is no dilution, there is no intention to dilute the act [Lokpal Act]. It is crystal clear. The matter has been brought according to sense of the house."