Assets of Montek Singh Ahluwalia and his wife made public by PMO
15 Dec, 2012The assets of the deputy chairman of Planning Commission Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia and his wife were made public by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in response to an RTI filed by activist S C Agrawal. A third party notice was given by the PMO to Mr. Ahluwalia, 69, and his permission was sought for the disclosure of information. As per the information provided to the applicant, Mr Ahluwalia:
- own assets worth Rs 3.85 crore Rs 3,85,82,450 as of 31st March, 2012.
- two properties in Greater Kailash and Noida.
- has an outstanding loan of Rs 1.5 crore from Syndicate Bank for purchase of a house worth Rs 7.1 crore in Greater Kailash.
- purchased 500-square yard house in Noida in 2006 in which his wife has a 60% share. It was obtained through Greenwoods Government Officers' Welfare Society of which Mr. Ahluwalia is a member. It involved an expense of Rs. 25 lakhs and has one room constructed.
- owns the property and the bank accounts jointly with his wife Isher J Ahluwalia, who is an independent income-earner.
- has an apartment constructed in 2001 on the first and second floor in Panchsheel Enclave on an existing single-storey house which, along with the plot, is owned by his mother.
- has five bank accounts, including one in the US, with a cumulative balance of more than Rs. 1.43 crore.
- has invested Rs 3,33,58,817 in Indian mutual funds and Rs 58,49,360 in Fidelity Investment, Washington, DC.
Many organisations and activists have called for pro-active disclosure of the details of the assets of the Public officials. This has been vehemently opposed by the privacy groups. Once the personal privacy act is in place, a clearer picture would emerge.