CUTTACK: Agriculture Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain, who claims to be closely associated with the farming community by labelling himself ‘chasi pua’, does not own any agriculture land.
This was revealed in the affidavit filed by Swain at the time of filing of nomination for BJD”s candidate from Athagarh Assembly seat. The 70-year-old minister has stated in his affidavit that he has neither any agricultural land nor any non-agricultural land in his name.
The seven-time legislator, who rode his 40-year-old scooter for filing his papers recently, is a crorepati but trails behind his wife, Manjulata Das. While movable assets including cash, bank balance, investment, motor vehicles etc worth Rs 85,85,790 are in Swain’s name, Manjulata has double the amount of movable assets. Manjulata possesses investments in share market, fixed deposits, car, gold and silver jewellery along with movable assets worth Rs 1,82,58,072.
While Swain has only Rs 49,600 cash in hand, his wife has Rs 41,720. Similarly, Swain possesses gold ornaments worth Rs 8.50 lakh and silver ornaments worth Rs 65,000, Manjulata owns gold ornaments worth Rs 18.5 lakh and silver ornaments worth Rs 35,000.
Swain also possesses a jeep, two motorcycles and a scooter. The scooter which he had rode for filing nomination is stated to have been purchased in 1982 and is valued at Rs 1,000.
Two plots at Chandrasekharpur in Bhubaneswar and Bidanasi in Cuttack valued at Rs 1.48 crore are in the name of his wife. Swain has stated he has an ancestral property (a residential building) at Chandni Chowk locality in Cuttack which is valued at Rs 64 lakh. He owns one-fourth of the property, the cost of which is around Rs 16 lakh.