The Rajya Sabha has disclosed asset details of 16 ministers belonging to the House and said 14 of them, including their spouses and dependents, have assets worth over Rs 1 crore each.
The Upper House made the disclosure following an RTI application by activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal.
Agrawal had sought details of asset declarations made by the ministers before the House under the Members of Rajya Sabha (Declaration of Assets and Liability) Rules, 2004.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has property and assets worth Rs 4.27 crore, which include a house in Chandigarh with a value of Rs 90 lakh besides owning a humble 1996-model Maruti 800 car which has Rs 40,000 as approximate cost.
There are 18 ministers from Rajya Sabha. Asset details of Saif-ud-din Soz and G K Vasan were, however, not available as Soz's 90-day time limit, prescribed for filing the details has not been completed whereas Vasan's form was not complete, the RTI reply said.
According to the list given by the house, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel is the richest member-minister from Rajya Sabha with declared assets worth Rs 31.89 crore. His wife Varsha Patel has Rs 4.96 crore, making the combined assets of the couple worth about Rs 37 crore, the reply said.
However, in his latest affidavit before the Election Commission, Praful Patel has declared assets worth Rs 38 crore.
Minister of Petroleum Murli Deora has personal assets of Rs 11.7 crore, his wife Hema B Deora has Rs 23.6 crore, which include an office at Churchgate in Mumbai worth Rs 4.12 crore besides three plots, one land and building in Pune having a combined value of Rs 1.5 crore.
Human Resource Development minister Arjun Singh has movable and immovable property worth Rs 59.71 lakh in his name whereas his wife Saroj Kumari has Rs 73.22 lakh which makes their combined assets Rs 1.32 crore.
Ashwani Kumar, minister of state for industries, owns assets worth Rs 8.11 crore whereas his wife Madhu Kumar owns movable and immovable property worth Rs 16.95 lakh.
Defence Minister A K Antony has Rs 64,286 in two saving accounts. His wife Elizabeth Antony owns property and cash worth Rs 16 lakh.
The information was made available with the permission of the Chairperson of Rajya Sabha Mohammad Hamid Ansari. Earlier, Agrawal had also filed an RTI application to the Cabinet Secretariat seeking the details but the matter kept scuttling between it and the PMO.
The CIC then referred the matter to Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Chairperson of Rajya Sabha to permit the disclosure.
Agrawal, who approached both Houses of Parliament with fresh applications on details of members' assets, was obliged by Rajya Sabha.
