Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 19: Sangarsh RTI Movement urged upon the Government to make the politicians also accountable by scrutinizing their assets, which has been increased many folds, by applying the same yardstick as has been applied to a common man.
Addressing a joint press conference, Balwinder Singh, Convener, Sangarsh RTI Movement and State Coordinator of Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Deepak Sharma of Sangarsh RTI Movement said that ADR has analysed the data of 45 re-contesting MLAs on the basis of the assets detail given by them in their sworn-in affidavits, submitted to the Election Commission at the time of filling the nomination forms during 2008 and 2014 Assembly Election.
As per the data analysed, the average assets of 45 re-contesting MLAs in 2008 Assemble Election was Rs. 1.49 crore whereas in 2014 it rose to 3.10 crore, thereby making an average asset growth of Rs. 1.60 crore, they added.
They further stated that in the analysis of party wise average asset increase for re-contesting 45 MLAs in 2014 Assembly election, Congress with 11 re-contesting MLAs recorded the highest asset increase of Rs. 2.96 crore (414% increase), followed by PDP with 7 re-contesting MLAs of Rs. 1.86 crore (104% increase) and National Conference with 18 re-contesting MLAs of Rs. 1.21 Crore (50% increase).
Singh and Sharma urged upon the Income Tax Department to scrutinize and verify the Income Tax Return filed by the politicians with the assets declaration made by them in the sworn in affadivits submitted to the Election Commission to find out the source of the tremendous increase in their assets during their term as an MLA.
They also disclosed that they will also meet the Income Tax Commissioner of J&K to submit the analysed data of assets comparison of all the re-contesting MLAs by ADR.
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