JAMMU: Balwinder Singh Convener Sangarsh RTI Movement, who is also the State Coordinator of Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) along with Deepak Sharma of Sangarsh RTI Movement in a press conference held here today appreciated the Central Government for cracking down heavily on the black money hoarders in the country and further urged upon the government to make the politicians also accountable by honestly scrutinising their assets which has been increased manifolds, by applying the same yardstick as has been applied to a common man.
Sharing the analysis done by Association of Democratic Reform (ADR) regarding assets comparison of re-contesting MLAs in the State Assembly Election held in 2014, the activists said that ADR has analysed the data of 45 re-contesting MLAs on the basis of the assets detail given by them in their Sworn-in affidavits, submitted to the Election Commission at the time of filling the nomination forms during 2008 and 2014 Assembly Election, which are also available on ECI website www.eci.nic.in. As per the data analysed, the average assets of 45 re-contesting MLAs in 2008 Assemble Election was Rs. 1.49 crore whereas in 2014 it rose to Rs 3.10 crore, thereby making an average asset growth of Rs. 1.60 crore. Shockingly in one case the asset of a politician has been increased even more than 20,000 per cent within a short period of his six year tenure as MLA.
Both Balvinder Singh and Deepak Sharma urged upon the Income Tax Department to scrutinise and verify the Income Tax Return filed by the politicians with the assets declaration made by them in the sworn in affidavits submitted to the Election Commission to find out the source of the tremendous increase in their assets during their term as an MLA.
They further stated that the work of the Income Tax Department has already been eased by the ADR by uploading the analysed data of assets comparison of all the re-contesting MLAs, (based on the candidates’ affidavits obtained from the ECI website www.eci.nic.in,) on their website www.adri-ndia.org, www.myneta.info.
They also disclosed in the press conference that they will also meet the Income Tax Commissioner of J and K to submit the analysed data of assets comparison of all the re-contesting MLAs by ADR.