In an era, where even ward councillors come around in a swanky SUVs, the sitting Member of Parliament from Coimbatore, PR Natarajan, who is seeking re-election from the same constituency, has only a scooter that too in his wife’s name, according to the affidavit filed by him along with his nomination on Saturday.
Natarajan filed his papers for the Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituency as CPM candidate before the Returning Officer and district collector Archana Patnaik.
In the affidavit filed with his nomination, Natarajan said, his total income in 2012-13 was `8,15,370 and that of his wife Vanaja was `6,58,317 in the same period. While Natarajan has `3.14 lakh totally in all his bank accounts, his wife has immovable assets and bank deposits worth `7.61 lakh, 120 grams of gold and a scooter. Natarajan also has non-agrigultural lands at Sanganoor worth `6 lakh and his wife has non agricultural land at Balan Nagar in Goundampalayam whose worth was `12 lakh. Besides, Vanaja also got a share from her family property at Siddhapudhur in Ganapathy worth `12.5 lakh.
The value of the immovable properties of both Natarajan and his wife Vanaja had doubled from 2009 Lok Sabha election. But, there was no significant difference in the value of movable properties. Natarajan was booked by the Sulur police for violating model code of conduct on March 23.
“During the last five years, I have been behind various infrastructure works in Coimbatore, including railway over-bridges, setting up of ESI medical college, new trains and diversion of trains that were passing through Podanur station to Coimbatore. I also made efforts in getting compensation for farmers, who offered their lands for setting up of Bharathiar University. If elected again, my focus will be on the development of MSME,” Natarajan told reporters after filing his paper.