94 percent of Gujarat MLAs crorepatis 24 percent face criminal cases says ADR

Criminal Cases on Gujarat MLA: Criminal cases are registered against about 24 percent ministers in the newly formed Gujarat Assembly. As far as the financial background of ministers is concerned, about 94 percent of them are crorepatis. Gujarat Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms have analyzed the affidavits of all 17 ministers including the Chief Minister. A total of four or 24 per cent ministers have declared criminal cases against themselves, the ADR report said. At the same time, one or six percent have declared a serious criminal case pending against them.

Of the 17 ministers analysed, 16 or 94 per cent are crorepatis, the ADR report said. The average assets of the 17 ministers analyzed is Rs 32.70 crore. Balwantsinh Chandansinh Rajput from Sidhpur constituency is the richest minister with assets of Rs 372.65 crore, while Khabad Bachubhai Maganbhai from Deogarbaria constituency has the lowest declared total assets of Rs 92.85 lakh.

A total of 14 ministers have declared liabilities, of which the minister with the highest liabilities is Balwantsinh Chandansinh Rajput of Siddhpur constituency, who has liabilities of Rs 12.59 crore. According to the report, 6 or 35 per cent ministers have declared their educational qualification to be between 8th and 12th class while 8 (47 per cent) ministers have declared their educational qualification to be graduate or above and three (18 per cent) ministers have Have declared their educational qualification Diploma Holders.

The ADR report states that 18 per cent ministers have declared their age to be between 31 and 50 years, while 14 (82 per cent) ministers have declared their age to be between 51 and 80 years. Of the 17 ministers, 1 or 6 percent are women.