84 per cent of newly elected J&K MLAs are crorepatis: ADR

Srinagar, Oct 10 (PTI) A whopping 84 per cent of newly elected MLAs in Jammu and Kashmir are crorepatis, a 9 per cent increase from 2014, with average declared assets of Rs 11.43 crore, according to data compiled by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The average declared assets of MLAs have more than doubled from Rs 4.56 crore a decade ago, the data showed.

Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Tariq Hamid Karra and BJP leader Devender Rana are among the richest MLAs with assets worth over Rs 100 crore.

According to ADR data, 76 of the 90 newly elected MLAs in Jammu and Kashmir have declared assets of more than Rs 1 crore. In 2014, only 65 of 87 legislators (75 per cent) were crorepatis.

Karra, who was elected from Central Shalteng seat, has declared assets worth Rs 148 crore and is the richest MLA in Jammu and Kashmir.

BJP leader Devender Rana, who won from Nagrota constituency, comes second with assets worth Rs 126 crore.

Businessman and National Conference (NC) MLA from Chanapora Mushtaq Ahmad Guroo is the third richest with assets worth Rs 94 crore.

AAP’s Mehraj Malik is the poorest legislator in Jammu and Kashmir with net assets of just Rs 29,070. He is the first AAP MLA in Jammu and Kashmir.

NC MLA from Karnah Javaid Ahmad Mirchal is the second poorest with assets worth Rs 3 lakh. His party colleague and Kokernag MLA Zafar Ali Khatana comes next with a net worth of Rs 34 lakh.

The average net worth of the six Congress MLAs is just over Rs 30 crore while that of the 29 BJP members is Rs 14.55 crore, according to ADR data.

NC’s 42 MLAs have average assets of Rs 8.47 crore, the three PDP members have average assets of Rs 4.25 crore and the average net worth of the seven Independents is around Rs 5 crore.

While 88 per cent (37) of NC MLAs are crorepatis, 86 per cent (25) of BJP MLAs have assets in crores.

All six Congress MLAs and the lone MLAs of CPI(M) and People’s Conference have declared assets in excess of Rs 1 crore.

While 23 MLAs have assets worth more than Rs 10 crore, 26 have assets worth more than Rs 5 crore but less than Rs 10 crore. The highest number of MLAs, 27, fall in the Rs 1 crore to Rs 5 crore bracket while 14 legislators have assets less than Rs 1 crore, ADR data showed.