Photo Courtesy: nenow
Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu holds the title of the wealthiest leader in the Northeast. He ranks fourth nationwide with assets totaling Rs 332.56 crore. The Association for Democratic Reforms published these findings based on self-sworn election affidavits from 31 sitting chief ministers. Only four Indian chief ministers qualify as billionaires.
Khandu also carries a heavy debt load. He reported liabilities of Rs 180.27 crore, the second-highest figure in the country. Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar tops that list. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma follows closely with Rs 16.86 crore in liabilities. Sarma holds Rs 35.16 crore in assets, ranking him third in the region behind Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio at Rs 46.95 crore.
Wealth distributions vary widely across the Northeast. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma declared Rs 14.06 crore. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha listed Rs 13.90 crore. Sikkim Chief Minister PS Tamang reported Rs 6.69 crore, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma has Rs 4.13 crore, and Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh holds Rs 2.38 crore. The average asset value for all 31 leaders sits at Rs 118.07 crore.
Criminal records remain a concern. Data shows 14 of the 31 chief ministers face criminal charges. That is 45 percent of the total. Even worse, 11 leaders disclosed serious criminal cases. Men dominate these positions. Only one woman currently serves as a chief minister in India. The group holds collective assets of Rs 3,660 crore. Their average self-declared annual income is Rs 6.54 crore.
Comments