GUWAHATI: All 12 ministers in the newly elected BJP government in Arunachal Pradesh are crorepati, according to an analysis by an election watch group, but none of them have any declared criminal case against them.
Chief minister Pema Khandu leads the team as the richest of them all with a declared total assets worth Rs 163.50 crore, of which the movable assets are worth Rs 143.87 crore, the Arunachal Pradesh Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms has reported in its analyses, which was based on the self-sworn affidavits of all the 12 ministers including the Khandu.
The election watch group in its analysis of the assets of the ministers of last elected government of 2014, which was of Congress, and had found that all the 10 ministers then were crorepati as well. After a political coup in 2016, the government changed hands and BJP came to power after majority of elected members ruling Congress switched sides—first to People’s Party of Arunachal and weeks later to BJP.
When compared, the present cabinet is, however, “poorer” than the previous one in terms of average assets of the ministers. The average assets of the present cabinet amount to Rs 27.3 crore, much lower than the Rs 48.01 crore average of the previous cabinet.
Closely behind Khandu in the crorepati ministers list is deputy chief minister and finance minister Chown Mein, whose declared assets is worth Rs 64.70 crore while education and cultural affairs minister Taba Tedir, a former chief engineer with the state government, who has declared assets worth Rs 49.98 cr is at the third richest slot.
Youth affairs and sports minister Mama Natung is at fourth position with net assets worth Rs 9.36 crore followed by agriculture minister Tage Taki (Rs 8.57 cr), industry and commerce minister Tumke Bagra (Rs 7.77 cr), rural works minister Honchun Ngandan (Rs 6.55 cr), urban development minister Kamiung Mosang (Rs 6.07 cr) and public health engineering minister Wangki Lowang (Rs 5.57 cr) at ninth position.
Health minister Alo Libangand home minister Bamang Felix have declared assets worth Rs 2 cr plus while tourism minister Nakap Nalo is at the bottom with net assets worth Rs 1.45 cr.
Tedir tops the list of ministers with highest declared liabilities of Rs 37.66 lakh followed by Taki’s Rs 24.25 lakh, Natung’s Rs 23.29 lakh and Mein’s Rs 8.01 lakh.
Among the 12 ministers, two have declared their highest education qualification as class 12 pass, four are graduates, another four are professional graduates and two are post graduates.
