Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the richest among his Ministerial colleagues, has availed a loan of Rs15 lakh, as is revealed in the latest property list filed by the Ministers by the end of last fiscal.
While Patnaik has taken the loan from his US-based sister Gita Mehta, Urban Development Minister Puspendra Singh Deo has purchased gold of the same amount of Rs15 lakh for his younger daughter.
Patnaik and his Cabinet colleagues’ property list for the year 2014-15 has revealed such interesting facts. Some of the senior Ministers holding important portfolios as well as some young Ministers have not registered any increase in their property.
The property list of Ministers has not gathered as much interest as the loan of Rs15 lakh by the Chief Minister from his sister.
last year, Patnaik had donated his Cuttack residence valued at Rs54 lakh to the State Government.
During last year, Patnaik withdrew Rs8 lakh from his savings bank account at Hinjili. A bank account with Bank of India, New Delhi had Rs1.93 lakh last year which has increased to Rs15,38,645 at present. Similarly, Rs8 lakh was deposited in his account last year.
Interestingly, some of the Ministers’ property has escalated in an eye catching manner. In contrast, the loan liability of Patnaik, Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma has increased.
While law Minister Arun Sahu is the poorest among the Ministers with declared property of Rs3,24,000, Naveen Patnaik remains the richest person in his Cabinet with assets worth around Rs12 crore.
Cooperation and Excise Minister Damodar Rout has just earned Rs1 lakh in one year, while his wife had earned Rs1.5 lakh last year. They have bought no immovable property or jewellery last year. Similarly, Finance Minister Pradeep Kumar Amat’s property has increased marginally by only Rs2 lakh. The wealth of Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathi’s family has registered an increase of Rs47 lakh.
Women and Child Development Minister Usha Devi has bought a luxury car last year worth Rs14 lakh; Revenue Minister Bijayshree Routray’s net worth has increased. School and Mass Education Minister Devi Prasad Mishra’s property has decreased by Rs11 lakh, yet he remains a multi-millionaire. Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh’s bank balance, gold and property all remained unchanged compared to the previous year’s possessions.
While Minister Badrinarayan Patra had not given an estimate for his property, SC and ST Development Minister lal Bihari Himrika and MSME, Public Grievance and Pension Minister Jogendra Behera have shown a nominal increase in their incomes. Health Minister Nayak is a crorepati, but last year his loan was Rs9.77 lakh, while this year it had increased to Rs26.11 lakh.
Minister Dasburma’s net worth had gone down after his wife had invested around Rs1 crore in newspaper industry last year.
In the list of multi-millionaires, Culture Minister Ashok Chandra Panda owns assets of around Rs5 crore.
Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Sudam Marandi’s property has increased by Rs41 lakh and Energy Minister Pranab Prakash Das’ income has not increased much as he has a loan of Rs19 lakh.
Higher Education Minister Pradeep Panigrahi is just a little far from becoming a crorepati. Similarly Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Minister Snehangini Chhuria’s income and property had shown a rise too.
