PDP MLA reports an increase of 9,564 percent of his assets between 2009 and 2014

New Delhi

An investigation conducted by mainland India  newspaper, DNA India has conducted an investigation in which it has revealed that some of the politicians have amassed wealth by over 40,000 percent.

Information collected through RTIs and affidavits filed by candidates before the Election Commission, found that a number of politicians had reported a percentage increase in assets that went up sometimes by more than 40,000% over the past five years, the newspaper said in its news report.

The meteoric rise in the assets is reflected in politicians’ affidavits all across the country. Take the case of Vishnunath. An MLA from the Congress party he contested in the Karnataka state polls from the seat of Chengannur in 2008 declaring just Rs 5,632 in assets then. This amount rose to Rs 2,502,000 in 2013 a rise of 44,325%.

In Jammu and Kashmir, an MLA from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mohammad Khalil Bandh reported an increase of 9,564% of his assets between 2009 and 2014, the report said.

Vishnunath is far from alone. At the other end of the country, Karya Bagang, who was elected unopposed to the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly from Chayangtajo seat in 2014 increased her wealth by over 35,736% in five years. In 2009, she had disclosed assets worth Rs 404,663 which rose to Rs 145,013,407 in 2014. These are not the only examples. A brief look at the declarations and one finds that assets of politicians, across the political spectrum have increased drastically over the past five years.

In the Lok Sabha, the documents found that four current Lok Sabha MPs’ assets have increased by over 1200% from 2009-14 while 22 other Lok Sabha MPs including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and sitting Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal have declared an asset increase of over 500%.

However, among Lok Sabha MPs, two names that really stand out as far as assets are concerned are Kamlesh Paswan and ET Mohammed Basheer. Paswan who belongs to the BJP has increased his wealth by 5,649%, while Bashweer a Kerala MP from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has increased his assets by 2,081% between the two elections.

For the Rajya Sabha, the top 10 newly elected MPs (in June 2016) have declared the highest percentage growth in assets. Their average return is 591 per cent as compared to the last election in 2011. But there are those who have an even higher percentage growth in assets. Take the case of Union Environment and Forest Minister Anil Madhav Dave, a Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh, who has declared an asset growth of over 2,100%.

Dave though is not alone. At least two MPs have matched his performance, increasing assets by 2,000% in five years between the two elections. Seven other newly-elected Rajya Sabha MPs have declared an asset increase of over 200%.

 

 

The post PDP MLA reports an increase of 9,564 percent of his assets between 2009 and 2014 appeared first on Kashmir Life.

from Kashmir Life http://ift.tt/2m3ShUh
via IFTTThttp://ift.tt/1iGhVXj