The powers that have gone into a tizzy after the Calcutta High Court’s order to relevant parties to file affidavits on a public interest litigation claiming multi-fold increase in the assets of a bevy of Bengal Ministers.
The PIl was filed by advocates Anindyasundar Das and Biplab Chowdhury.
Assets of at least 23 State Ministers have grown disproportionately as per the returns filed by these leaders with the Election Commission, the petitioners say.
For instance, the combined asset of Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee and his wife has gone up by about 293 percent: from `62 .37 lakh in 2011 to `1. 83 crore — between 2011 and 2016. Incidentally the Mayor who also doubles up as the State Fire Minister was shown in the Narada video tapes accepting cash from a journalist posing as a prospective investor.
Similarly the assets (immovable property) of Firhad (alias) Bobby Hakim the State Urban Development Minister and a key member in Mamata Banerjee’s Cabinet has up from `1.48 crore in 2011 to `2.52 crore in 2016. The net worth of her wife’s immovable property has jumped more than three times. Hakim is also seen the Narada video tapes apparently telling the sting journalist that `5 lakh is a small amount just enough only for his followers (Bacchhas).
The resources (read assets) of State Water Resources Minister Soumen Mahapatra have increased to `1.97 crore whereas in 2011 it was just about `69.50 lakh.
Similarly the assets of Paschimanchal Development Minister responsible with the development of Maoist-infested Jangalmahal area has increased more than 4,000 times: from `62.79 thousand to `26.89 lakh since 2011 when he contested from the first time.
To come back to senior Trinamool leader and State Education Minister Partho Chatterjee whose property has gone up from `15.50 lakh in 2011 to `57.56 lakh in 2016. His wife’s immovable property was valued at `8.58 lakh in 2011 which went up to `38 lakh five years later.
Trinamool Congress MlA and Salt lake-Rajarhat Mayor Sabyasachi Dutta had `3,000 as “cash in hand,” which leapt up to `1.33 lakh in 2016. He had net immovable property valued at `36.64 lakh which has gone up to `1.16 crore. His wife had assets worth `6.91 lakh in 2011 which went up to `89.78 lakh in 2011.
Incidentally Dutta had gone on record telling a national television channel how “it is not possible to do away with the syndicate raj as they are intricately entwined with the system.”
“This is only the tip of the ice berg. In actual terms the property of many Trinamool leaders is estimated in terms of tens of crores,” said one of the petitioners adding “let them first file the affidavit and source of income and then further steps will be taken.”
Meanwhile, sources in the Trinamool Congress said the chartered accountants have been asked to provide records with minutest details.
“It is very difficult to record things in details so the Government officials are also assisting the politicians,” they said.