Assam stagting, MLAs getting richer

Assets of 99 re-contesting legislators up by Rs 1.24 crore

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, April 9: The lot of the common man in Assam in terms of assets may not have improved much in the last five years. But this sorry state of affairs does not seem to apply to the representatives they elected to the assembly in 2011. In five years, the average assets of 99 MLAs re-contesting in the ongoing assembly elections has increased by Rs 1.24 crore.

According to an alysis by the Assam Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), the average asset value of these 99 MLAs in the 2011 elections was Rs 1.33 crore.

Their average assets rose to Rs 2.58 crore, according to their self-sworn affidavits.

Leading the pack is Congress' Sanjay Raj Subba whose property increased from Rs 2 crore in 2011 to Rs 11 crore this year, a whopping increase of 446 per cent.

Former minister and BPF leader Chandan Brahma became richer by nearly Rs 7 crore - from Rs 2.6 crore in 2011 to Rs 9.5 crore in 2016.

AIUDF's Abdur Rahim Ajmal's property increased to Rs 13 crore from Rs 6 crore, while Congress minister Prithibi Majhi's assets increased from Rs 90 lakh to Rs 7 crore.

Congress' Ardhendu Kumar Dey also became richer by Rs 4 crore.

The average increase in assets of the 55 Congress MLAs re-contesting this elections is 111 per cent, while the 12 BJP MLAs became richer by 80 per cent.

AIUDF's 10 MLAs registered an increase in assets by 102 per cent.

The 9 BPF MLAs became richer by 193 per cent, while even the six AGP legislators increased their assets by 63 per cent.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's property increased from Rs 4.94 crore to Rs 5.54 crore.

Six legislators, however, claimed that their assets decreased - AIUDF's Abul Kalam Azad (minus 2 per cent), Congress' Hemanta Talukdar (minus 12 per cent), Klengdoon Engti (minus 14 per cent), Debrabrata Saikia (minus 15 per cent), Pradan Baruah (minus 39 per cent) and Bidya Sing Engleng (minus 72 per cent).

ASSETS: HIGHEST GROWTH

Candidate     Constituency    Assets in 2011    Assets in 2016

Sanjay Raj Subba (INC)     oboicha    Rs 2 crore    Rs 13 crore

Chandan Brahma (BPF)    Sidli    Rs 2.6 crore    Rs 9.5 crore

Abdur Rahim Ajmal (AIUDF)    Jamumukh    Rs 6.8 crore    Rs 13 crore

Prithibi Majhi (INC)    Lahowal    Rs 90 lakh    Rs 7 crore

Ardhendu Kumar Dey (INC)    Hojai    Rs 2 crore    Rs 6 crore