140 Rajya Sabha MPs have no pecuniary interests

Agencies

New Delhi, 17 November 2011: 140 Rajya Sabha members have declared that they do not have any pecuniary interests as directors of companies, controlling shares, regular salaries, paid consultancies and professional engagements despite some of them having declared assets worth crores in their election affidavits.

 

Voluntary groups, Association of Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch, which received this information under the Right to Information Act, on Thursday made public the Register of Interests of Rajya Sabha Members where, under rules, they declare their interests in various companies, businesses and remuneration received.

 

The form mandatory to be filled within 90 days of taking oath requires a Rajya Sabha member to declare their interests under five heads -- remunerative directorship, shareholding of controlling nature, regular remunerated activity, paid consultancy and professional engagement.

 

The group said as per information received by them, out of 232 MPs whose details have been furnished by Rajya Sabha, 140 have declared they do not have any pecuniary interests in the heads given in the declaration form.

 

"However, in their declaration forms given to Election Commission, some of these 140 MPs have declared assets worth crores. According to Election Commission data about 58 per cent of RS members are ’crorepati’. It is interesting to see that they have assets yet no regular pecuniary interests," Anil Bairwal, National Coordinator, National Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms said.

 

The top three MPs who have said they do not have any pecuniary interests, yet have high assets, includes T Subbarami Reddy of Congress having total declared assets worth Rs 259.25 crore, Congress’ Karan Singh with assets of Rs 57.89 crore and Shiv Sena’s Rajkumar Dhoot having assets of Rs 29.53 crore.