Ministers declare assets

AHMEDABAD, Oct 4: The much-awaited declaration of assets of the State ministers led by Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel was made on Sunday ...

AHMEDABAD, Oct 4: The much-awaited declaration of assets of the State ministers led by Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel was made on Sunday with the Opposition and critics of BJP government taking it as a mere eye-wash only.

The assets of ministers were declared by the Chief Minister himself in Gandhinagar with the only exception of Minister of State for Law Hemant Chapatwala, who was reported to be ill and will declare his assets later.

According to the list issued by Patel, Minister of Industries and Tourism Khodabhai Patel has declared net assets worth Rs 1.36 crore which is the highest figure in the entire Cabinet followed by Narmada Development Minister Jaynarayan Vyas who has shown net assets of over Rs 1.19 crore after considering liabilities of Rs 93.80 lakh. Against these two, at the rock bottom is Minister of State for Urban Development Kaushik Patel who has declared net assets of Rs 1.52 lakh.

The Chief Minister has declared properties worth Rs 17.23 lakh.

Incidentally, except for Khodabhai Patel and Jainarayan Vyas, no other minister had declared assets in excess of Rs one crore. Twelve ministers have declared that they have no financial or other liabilities. These include Suresh Mehta, Ashok Bhatt, Haren Pandya, Kanjibhai Patel, Harjivan Patel and others. Many have announced motor car loans of some Rs two to three lakh as liabilities.

Civil Supplies Minister Jaspal Singh had not showed any amount of properties, but had mentioned the loan for motor car and a plot of land which now costs Rs eight lakh in Gandhinagar township. Interestingly, half the ministers have not stated their business or occupation.

Nine ministers have declared their assets between Rs 10 and Rs 25 lakh while only one, Purshottam Solanki has declared assets in excess of Rs 75 lakh but below Rs one crore.

Solanki has also declared ownership of about half a dozen immovable properties in Mumbai, where real estate prices are among the highest in the world.

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Six ministers have declared that they own assets worth less than Rs ten lakh while as many others have declared assets worth more than Rs 25 lakh but less than Rs 50 lakh. Shrewdly enough, many of Patel8217;s colleagues have declared ownership of jewellery items but avoided to specify whether they were gold or silver ones, which would make a considerable difference in their value and ultimately the ministers8217; net worth.

Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel does not own a house in his name anywhere in Gujarat, except the one in Gandhinagar, according to the declaration made by him. Savjibhai Korat is the only minister who has declared assets to the last paisa, which the declaration puts at Rs 9,69,155 and 25 paise. The costliest house ownership, Rs 60 lakh, incidentally, has been declared by Narmada Development Minister Jainarayan Vyas.