JOIN USTripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar can arguably be dubbed “the cleanest and poorest” chief minister in the country with personal property, movable and immovable, valued at less than Rs 2.5 lakh.
According to the affidavit submitted by Sarkar during filing of nomination in the Dhanpur constituency on Friday for the coming assembly elections, Sarkar has Rs 1,080 as cash in hand and his bank balance stood at Rs 9,720.
He inherited a home of 432 sq ft with a tin shed house, whose present market value was Rs 2,20,000, from his deceased mother Anjali Sarkar .
However, his wife, Panchali Bhattacharya, who is a retired officer of the Central government has a cash fixed deposit of Rs 23,58,380 and jewellery of 20 gm of gold, the present market value of which is Rs 72,000. She has cash of Rs 22015 in hand.
Her family sources said she had got the money as her retirement benefit.
The couple has no movable property and the total value of immovable property and cash is Rs 24,52,395. A state Committee member of the ruling CPM, Haripada Das, who looks after the accounts of the party said, like other party members, Sarkar donates his full salary and subsidiary allowances to the party and instead the party pays him Rs 5,000 as subsistence allowances.
According to official sources, the chief minister’s monthly salary is Rs 9,200 which, perhaps is the lowest in the country. When contacted, State Party Secretary Bijan Dhar said, “I can only say that he has no leaning for increasing his own personal property. He has dedicated his entire life for the party and people”.
Even his bitter critics do not blame him for any kind of corruptions.