Uttarakhand politicians turn millionaire after 'public service' creates wealth boost

Despite the COVID jolt and sharp economic drawbacks, the one profession which seems to keep the coffers evergreen is that of a politician. In the poll-bound state of Uttarakhand, several politicians have recorded a rise in income. As per nomination papers accessed and scanned by ETV Bharat, some of these rises have been nothing short of astronomical.

Dehradun: Despite the COVID 19 pandemic overwhelming the social and economic fabric of India, as well as economic slowdown, closures and huge job losses hitting various markets, a seemingly lucrative occupation on the rise despite the financial gloom has been politics.

While politicians term their work ‘social service’, the remuneration it generates is anything but a testament to this tag.

The Northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, which is set to go to the polls on February 14, has seen several candidates whose income has grown multiple times since the last assembly elections in the hill state. Disclosure by candidates in the affidavit submitted to the Election Commission suggests a manifold increase in their income, earned by social service.

ETV Bharat, after scanning nomination papers of some of the candidates, has found that their wealth jumped up to astronomical proportions in the last five years.

Yashpal Arya, Uttarakhand Congress leader, and former Transport Minister has amassed wealth up to 60% in the last 5 years, as a total wealth of 9.57 crore in 2017 saw a sudden jump throughout the last five years, reaching Rs 15.49 crore in 2022.

Arya's son Sanjeev Arya, who is contesting from Nainital on a Congress candidature, had in 2017 declared movable assets worth Rs 60 lakhs and immovable assets of Rs 1.75 crore, which has now increased to Rs 2.42 crore worth of movable assets and Rs 3.35 crores of immovable assets.

Uttarakhand BJP President Madan Kaushik is another leader who has pushed himself up to millionaire status in the last ten years. Kaushik, who is an MLA from the Haridwar assembly seat for the last four times, in 2012 had declared assets of Rs 20,23,000 which in 2022 has become Rs 1.13 crore. Kaushik has also declared Rs 4 crore worth of immovable assets in his nomination form.

Cabinet Minister Yatheeswaranand, a BJP contestant from Haridwar rural, had declared total assets worth Rs 10 lakh in 2012, which rose to Rs 33 lakh in 2017 and reached Rs 71 lakh in 2022.

Congress candidate Mayukh Mahar, on the other hand, has shown a downward trend. Mahar had declared total assets worth 3.99 crores in 2017, which has come down to 3.16 crore now.

BJP candidate and MLA from Raipur Assembly, Umesh Sharma Kau has apparently been minting money. In 2017, Kau had assets worth Rs 9.,97,527 which by 2021 has become Rs 16,29,400 - an increase of nearly 62.5%.

Notably, Kau had also declared his wife's annual income of Rs 4,67,754 in 2017 which became 11,76,093 in 2021.