Mangalore: Union Railway Minister D V Sadananda Gowda has rejected charges that there has been a sudden increase in his assets by over Rs 10 crore since he joined the Union Cabinet, saying he had never misused public money as a “dedicated politician.
The minister’s statement came in the wake of reports by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and the National Election Watch (NEW) that the net worth of his assets had shot up from Rs 9.88 crore in May this year to Rs 20.35 crore in October.
The wealth of Union ministers was analysed by the ADR and NEW by comparing the declarations filed for the Lok Sabha elections in May this year and those sent about five months later to the Prime Minister?s Office (PMO).
Gowda said he had purchased a building in Bangalore for which he secured a loan of Rs 8 crore from the Federal Bank. He had also received Rs 2 crore as rental advance from the owner to whom he had rented out the premises, Gowda told reporters here yesterday.
Gowda said by the end of June he had submitted all these details to the PMO to ensure transparency. The minister said he had purchased the three-storeyed building from one K V Naidu, which had been rented out to Ramaiah Foundation in Bangalore.
He said it was his duty to inform the people about the row over the increase in his assets after becoming Union Minister. I am in the field of politics for the last 25 years and have done personal business along with politics, but had never misused public money,” he said.
Bureau Report
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