How much did Maharashtra CM Shinde and Fadnavis’ net worth grow in 5 years, 2 ministers’ property increased tremendously, how many ministers are on ED’s radar?
In the last five years, most of the 27 state cabinet ministers have seen a marginal improvement in their net worth, but the wealth of some ministers has increased manifold. This has been revealed from the affidavits filed for the Maharashtra Assembly elections. This increase in the property of these ministers has happened because they have bought land and flats during the last five years. How much has the wealth of which minister increased?
Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare’s wealth increased by 772%, from Rs 39 lakh in 2019 to Rs 3.4 crore. Public Works Minister Ravindra Chavan’s wealth increased by 117% from Rs 7 crore to Rs 15.5 crore. Water conservation minister Sanjay Rathod’s assets rose 220% to nearly Rs 15.9 crore from Rs 5.9 crore. Sports, Youth Welfare and Port Development Minister Sanjay Bansode’s assets rose 144% from Rs 2 crore to Rs 5 crore. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s assets rose 66%.
Lodha only Mahayuti minister whose assets decreased
Mahayuti government’s deputy chief ministers Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis’ assets rose by 44% and 56% respectively, as revealed by the election affidavits filed by them. Three ministers are under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in money laundering cases – Ajit Pawar and his NCP colleague Hasan Mushrif in the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) case, while NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal was arrested in 2016 in connection with an alleged scam related to RTO land and Maharashtra Sadan and is out on bail. Mushrif faced ED raids and questioning, while Ajit Pawar was never questioned in this case. These leaders have also mentioned these cases in their affidavits filed for the assembly elections. Bhujbal’s assets increased by 17%, while Mushrif’s assets increased by 34%.
All cases against the minister closed
RTI activist and expert Shailesh Gandhi has said that the Income Tax Department and other high officials should investigate all election affidavits to find out whether these disclosures are in line with the IT returns filed by ministers in the last five years or not. Unless the source of income is investigated and understood, this process remains only a sham. The purpose is to know whether this increase is real or not. It is our right to know how honest these leaders have been towards the country’s assets and treasury. On the other hand, Minister Vijaykumar Gavit, against whom nine cases were pending, all have been dismissed, while his total assets have increased by 12%.
Which minister’s assets fell?
Mangal Prabhat Lodha (Malabar Hill MLA) is the only minister whose assets have declined. His assets have decreased by 11%. The main reason for this decline is the increasing liabilities of the minister. Aditi Tatkare’s net assets have increased. She bought more than 12 acres of agricultural land worth Rs 1 crore and 75,827 square feet of non-agricultural land worth Rs 21 lakh in Roha in 2020-21. Ravindra Chavan’s family’s net assets also increased significantly, rising from Rs 7.1 crore to Rs 15.5 crore. His assets also include a revolver worth Rs 1.5 lakh. Sanjay Rathod’s net worth also increased when he bought a flat worth Rs 13 crore in Prabhadevi in 2023, while his wife bought a 37,452 sq ft commercial property worth Rs 11 crore in Nagpur in December 2019. As a result, his liabilities also increased from Rs 2.2 crore to Rs 24.4 crore.
Dhananjay Munde bought a 2,151 sq ft flat in Malabar Hill worth Rs 10 crore in December 2023 and a 930 sq ft flat in Pune worth Rs 1.1 crore in 2022, increasing his family’s net worth by 81% in the last five years.
