Uttarkhand: 71 pc MLAs are graduates, 27 pc criminals

In Uttarkhand, 71 per cent of the MLAs (50 of 70 analysed) are graduates and have higher qualification and 27 per cent have criminal records, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms.

Out of these 70 members of Legislative Assembly analysed for Uttarakhand assembly elections, 19 (27 per cent) have declared that criminal cases have been filed against them. Out of these 19 MLAs, five (seven per cent) have serious criminal cases pending. In the 2007 assembly elections, 24 per cent MLAs from the state had criminal records.

A total of 32 out of 70 MLAs (46 per cent) are crorepatis as against the 16 per cent crorepati MLAs in 2007. Rajesh Shukla of the Bharatiya Janata Party, who won from the Kichha constituency, is the richest among the legislators with assets worth Rs. 26.63 crore. He is followed by Amrita Rawat of the Congress from Ramnagar with assets valued at Rs. 13.57 crore and Surendra Singh Jeena of BJP from Salt constituency with assets worth Rs. 7.04 crore.

Three MLAs have declared that their assets are valued at less than Rs 10 lakh. A total of six (nine per cent) MLAs out of 70 analysed declared liabilities of Rs. 40 lakh or above.
Among major parties, the average assets of a Congress MLA are worth Rs 1.87 crore and that of a BJP MLA is Rs 2.02 crore. As far as the Bahujan Samaja Party and the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal-Panwar MLAs go their average asset value is Rs 1.21 crore and Rs 1.27 crore respectively.    

Fifty MLAs who have re-contested in the elections were analysed and the average assets of these MLAs has increased to Rs 2.30 crore from Rs  83.34 lakh in 2007. On an average the assets have grown by Rs 1.47 crore which is a whopping 177 per cent.    

Shukla has shown the highest increase in asset by Rs 25.76 crore (from Rs 87.57 lakh in 2007 to Rs 26.63 crore in 2012), followed by Jeena with an increase in assets by Rs. 6.26 crore (from Rs 78 lakh in 2007 to 7.04 crore in 2012).

The assets of Congress MLA Yashpal Arya from the Bazpur constituency saw a growth by Rs. 3.71 crore, from Rs 81.62 lakh in 2007 to Rs 4.52 crore in 2012.  

The highest percentage increase in terms of asset growth has been for Bishan Singh Chuphal of the BJP from the Didihat constituency. His assets rose from Rs 1.18 lakh in 2007 to 1.01 crores in 2012. He is followed by Mayukh Singh of the Congress from Pithoragarh constituency who assets have gone

up from Rs 6.30 lakh in 2007 to 3.07 crore in 2012 and Banshidhar Bhagat of the BJP from the Kaladhungi constituency whose assets today are valued at 73.02 lakh as against Rs 2.38 lakh in 2007.

Out of 70 MLAs in Uttarakhand five (seven per cent) are women.