New Delhi: A total of 140 out of the 241 members of the Rajya Sabha claim that they have no financial interests, despite owning assets running into crores of rupees, said an election watchdog on Thursday.
The financial interests, which have to be declared by an MP within 90 days of his election, include income as directors of companies, controlling shares, regular salaries, paid consultancies and professional engagements.
These have to be declared by the members before participating in any discussion related to their interest, and are also to be kept in mind while appointing the members to any parliamentary standing committees.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has also declared no financial interests, but has assets worth more than Rs 4 crore.
“It is strange how one can have huge assets and no financial interests,” said Anil Bariwal, national coordinator of National Election Watch (NEW).
An analysis of data on MPs’ financial interests received from Rajya Sabha by NGOs NEW and Association for Democratic Research (ADR) showed a large number of them having share or control in private firms or enjoying financial gains from firms or other professions.
The activists could get the information only two and half year after their first right to information application, and after the information commission issued a notice to Rajya Sabha secretariat. The activists said some of the MPs showed huge assets in their declaration.
The highest asset holder among those who said they had no financial interest is Congress’s T Subbarami Reddy of Andhra Pradesh, with total assets worth Rs 258 crore. Reddy is followed by Congress’s Karan Singh, with assets worth Rs 57 crore. BJP’s M Venkaiah Naidu holds assets worth Rs 7 crore. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni of the Congress also figures in the list of those who declared no financial or pecuniary interests. She declared assets worth Rs 17 crore.
The information showed 28 Rajya Sabha MPs get paid for directorship in various companies with the highest amount being received by Vijay Mallya at Rs 39.45 crore annually.
Under the category of shareholding of controlling nature, 33 MPs have declared they have financial interests. (IANS)