Rs 3.3 crore growth in ministers' wealth

New Delhi, Oct 5: The average income of ministers in the UPA government has increased by Rs 3.3 crore in the last two years, said a report by an NGO, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

“The average asset value of a minister in the current ministry is Rs 10.63 crore. In 2009, the average asset value of a minister was Rs 7.3 crore. Thus the current ministers on an average are Rs 3.3 crore richer than in 2009," ADR said in its report.

The report has come out in the backdrop of controversies regarding Planning Commission"s affidavit to the Supreme Court on determining the new poverty line based on a day"s earning of '32' by a person.

The NGO has been keeping a close eye on the ministers since the declaration of assets and criminal antecedent was made mandatory by the Supreme Court in 2002.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had publicly announced the wealth of 59 ministers in the UPA government. The report was made on the analysis done by the NGO's activists, Anil Bairwal professor Jagdeep Chhokar and Professor Tricholan Sastry after the PMO's declaration.

There is every possibility that the asset value of the UPA ministers may increase further as 19 of them have not made their assets public yet.

Among the ministers who have declared their assets, DMK leader S. Jagathrakshakan's wealth increased phenomenally to Rs 64.4 crore which was Rs 5.9 crore during the 2009 elections.

OneIndia News