Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik takes Rs 15 lakh loan from sister

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Oct 30:

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the richest among his cabinet colleagues, has availed a loan of Rs 15 lakh, the latest property list filed by the ministers by the end of last fiscal has revealed.

While the Biju Janata Dal supremo has availed a loan of Rs 15 lakh from his sister, Urban Development minister Pushpendra Singh Deo has bought gold of a matching amount for his youngest daughter.

Naveen Patnaik and his cabinet colleagues’ property list for the year 2014-15 have revealed such interesting facts. Some of the senior ministers holding important portfolios, as well as some young ministers have not registered any increase in their property.

The property list of ministers has not gathered as much interest as the loan of Rs 15 lakh by the chief minister from his sister Geeta Mehta. The valuation of Naveen’s property, movable and immovable, has gone down; he is no longer a crorepati. As last year he had donated his Cuttack residence valued at Rs 54 lakh to the state government.

During last year, Naveen has withdrawn Rs 8 lakh from his savings bank account at Hinjili. A bank account with Bank of India, New Delhi had Rs 1.93 lakh last year which has increased to Rs 15, 38, 645.  Similarly, Rs 8 lakh has been deposited in his account last year.

Interestingly, some of the ministers’ property has escalated in an eye catching manner. In contrast, the loan liability of Naveen, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Sanjay Das Burma has increased.

While Law Minister Arun Sahu is the poorest amongst his cabinet colleagues with declared property of Rs 3, 24 000, Naveen remains the richest person in his cabinet with assets worth around Rs 12 crore.

Cooperation and Excise Minister Damodar Rout, has just earned Rs 1 lakh in one year, while his wife had earned Rs 1.5 lakh last year. They have bought no immovable property or jewellery last year. Similarly, Finance minister Pradeep Kumar Amat’s property has increased marginally by only Rs 2 lakh. The wealth of Agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathi’s family has registered an increase of Rs 47 lakh.

Women and Child Development Minister Usha Devi has bought a luxury car last year worth Rs 14 lakh; Revenue Minister Bijayshree Routray’s net worth has increased. School and Mass Education minister Devi Prasad Mishra property has decreased by Rs 11 lakh, yet he remains a multi-millionaire. Minister Vikram Keshari Arukh’s bank balance, gold and property all remained unchanged as compared to the previous year’s possessions.

While, minister Badrinarayan Patra had not given an estimate for his property. Minister Lal Bihari Himrika and Jogendra Behera have shown a nominal increase in their incomes. Health minister Atanu Sabyasachi is a crorepati, but last year his loan was Rs 9.77 lakh, while this year it had increased to Rs 26.11 lakhs.

Minister Sanjay Das Burma’s net worth had gone down after his wife had invested around Rs 1 crore in the newspaper industry, last year.

In the list of multi-millionares, Minister Ashok Chandra Panda owns assets of around Rs 5 crore, while Minister Arun Sahu had declared that his property had increased to Rs 30 lakh. Minister Sudam Marandi’s property has increased by Rs 41 lakh and Minister Pranab Prakash Das’ income has not increased much as he has a loan of Rs 19 lakhs. Minister Pradeep Panigrahi is just a little far from becoming a crorepati. Similarly Minister Snehangini Chhuria’s income and property had shown an increase too.