TEAM HERALD

teamherald@herald-goa.com

PANJIM: The assets of the sitting MLAs who are re-contesting election has grown by an average of 200% with the highest growth worth being that of Shyam Satardekar whose value has shot up from Rs 4.89 crore in 2007 to Rs 30.20 crore in 2012.

Statistics revealed by the Association of Democratic Reforms’ Goa Election Watch also revealed that candidates who are not rich are not usually favoured by major political parties.

According to the statistics, which are based solely on the affidavits filed by the candidates submitted both now and last elections, the 35 candidates that are re-contesting have an average growth in assets to the tune of Rs 5.39 crore.

At the top of the list lies Shyam Satardekar from Curchorem whose assets grew from Rs 4.89 crore to Rs 30.20 crore. He is followed by Joaquim Alemao from Cuncolim whose assets increased from Rs 9.12 crore to Rs 31.26 crore an increase of Rs 22.13 crore. Pratapsing Rane also showed an increase of assets of Rs 17.04 crore from Rs 8.82 crore to Rs 25.87 crore.

It is interesting to note that both Satardekar and Joaquim are involved in the mining business and the resulting increase in assets is only a reflection of the mining boom that they profited from in the last five years.

Percentage wise Aleixo Reginaldo’s assets grew by a whopping 1559% from Rs 7 lakh in 2007 to Rs 1.16 crore in 2012. Pratap Gauns’ assets grew by 1526% from Rs 5.58 lakh to Rs 90.81 lakh while Nilkanth Halarnkar’s assets grew by 968% from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 3.21 crore in 2012.

It is also interesting to note that all the MLAs who have made it big are from the ruling party and none from the opposition.

However, this is not to say opposition MLAs did not get richer. The average increase of a BJP MLAs worth was to the tune of Rs 2.53 crore at a growth percentage of 306%. Last elections the average worth of a BJP MLA was Rs 83 lakh. This election it is Rs 3.36 crore.

In last elections the average worth of a Congress MLA was Rs 3.90 crore. This year it is Rs 10.74 crore.

ADR also released figures of how rich and how criminal the candidates are.

“There is an increasing tendency for political parties to give candidates to the rich and the affluent. This is a disturbing trend. At the same time the per capita income of an average citizen is not increasing correspondingly,” Ravi Bariwal of the Association for Democratic Reforms told reporters.

True enough of the 129 candidates of major parties that the ADR has studied 71% are crorepatis in stark contrast to the fact that in 2007 only 41% were crorepatis.

Only three candidates of the 129 had declared assets less than Rs 5 lakh. Among major parties the average asset per candidate for INC is Rs 8.44 crore, for BJP it’s Rs 4.21 crore for NCP is Rs 10.79 crore for GVP it is Rs 3.95 crore for UGDP is Rs 81.65 lakh and MGP is Rs 33.50 crore. MGP figures have shot up because one of their candidates Dinar Tarcar alone is worth Rs 211 crore.

The ADR says that they will release figures of more candidates in the days to come.