I have 'only Rs 50000' bank balance: Manipur CM

When Manipur Chief Minister, Okram Ibobi Singh, who is eyeing a hat-trick in the upcoming election in Manipur, declared his assets ahead of the polls, it came like a shock. The CM entered the fray with just Rs 50,000 in hand.

In the affidavits declaring the assets owned by the candidates and submitted along with their nomination papers, it has been shown that chief minister Okram Ibobi singh has just Rs 50,000 in hand while his wife, MLA Landhoni, has Rs 60,000.

Chief Minister Ibobi has declared Rs 1,05,147 as his bank balance while his wife has declared Rs 1,65,147 as her entire bank balance.

Besides this, one ambassador car of 1988 model is registered in the name of chief minister. The car is said to have been purchased in 2000 at a cost of Rs. 50,000. In addition, the chief minister has 240 grams of gold whose monetary value has been put at around Rs 4 lakh.

In the affidavit submitted by the chief minister there is no land, either cultivable or otherwise, in his name or in his wife’s name. There is though a commercial building unit which has been provided by PDA on hire-purchase system in Imphal west. The said building was purchased in 2009 at an estimated cost of Rs 27, 10,000.

Above this, the CM has an ancestral homestead inherited from his father at his constituency. The affidavit submitted by the chief minister also put his total liabilities at Rs 6, 44,420.

During the fiscal year, 2010-2011, the chief minister has paid taxes of Rs. 5,20,590 while his wife paid Rs. 3,41,800 as taxes.

On the other hand, the affidavit of BJP candidate Indira Oinam, who is contesting against Manipur chief minister in the same constituency, showed that she has only just Rs 10,000 in hand and Rs 5,444 in her bank account. Despite being a woman, Indira has not mentioned anything about possessing of gold or other ornamental items in her affidavit.

The affidavit of AK Manglemjao, who is contesting the election as Trinamool Congress candidate in the same assembly of chief minister Ibobi Singh shows that he has only Rs. 10,000 in hand.

In a list of chief minister and their declared wealth recently in many national dailies, the chief minister of Manipur was shown as amongst the poorest, with declared assets worth only Rs 6.09 lakh.

If this is truly the picture, the Manipur chief minister would not just be among the poorest chief minister in India, but also probably poorer than most employees of his government including grade two and grade three employees.