Bangalore: The man hailed to be the best in governance and is being considered for the prestigious Gates Innovation Award, Nitish Kumar is leading by example as he goes ahead with his transparency drive in politics.  However, while accepting his efforts to be clean and progressive, it should also be noted that India’s club of crorepati ministers is increasingly becoming wider. The latest details made public on the wealth of Bihar ministers, the number of crorepati ministers soared and has more than doubled since the previous year.

While there were only five crorepatis last year, the new list reveals that 12 out of 29 ministers in the state government have made it to the list this year. Nitish Kumar’s call for transparency did not seem to have impressed all as 130 MLAs did not meet the December 31 deadline set for declaring their assets.  The Bihar Chief Minister has 6,15,662 in bank balance, a flat worth Rs/40 lakh in New Delhi and a car as moveable assets. Nitish Kumar also has 30 tolas of gold and five kg silver utensils in addition to the decleared two cows and three calves worth 83,000. His son Nishant has declared moveable assets worth 7360126.28 and land worth Rs 42,69,404. Cumulative assets of both Nitish and Nishant worth 1,62,45,192, up from 1,50,64,199 last year. The Deputy CM of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi has wealth worth 1,17,33,228 adding his wife’s and son’s assets. His assets were worth 1,06,80,314 a year back.

Last December when Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan asked his ministers to declare their assets, only 40 percent of 40 ministers revealed their wealth details.