Srinagar, Nov 20: The election to two Legislative Council seats in Kashmir seems to have turned into a “money game” as major political parties have fielded ‘multi-millionaire’ candidates in the polls slated to be held on December 3.
 Going by the details of assets furnished by candidates nominated by the ruling National Conference and Congress, besides main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, it seems that the election has become the “money game” as all of them have fielded asset-rich candidates.
 A look at the details furnished by Ghulam Nabi Monga, who is fighting on Congress ticket, reveals that he has assets worth Rs 2.29 crores. Besides, his wife possesses property/assets worth Rs 9.10 lakh. The total value of his moveable assets—cash-in-hand, four bank accounts, Metlife insurance policy, two vehicles—is around Rs 29.2 lakh. The value of his immoveable assets—eight kanals of agricultural land at Zehanpora Uri and residential house in Sannat Nagar—has been put at Rs 2 crore, according to the affidavit. Monga has also taken a loan of Rs 2.5 lakh from J&K Bank for purchasing a vehicle.
 Peer Muhammad Hussain of PDP has assets worth Rs 6 crores.  The details furnished by him before the Returning Officer brings to fore that his spouse has property/assets worth Rs 24.5 lakh. Hussain’s immoveable property which includes 50 Kanals agricultural land at Kadapora Thajiwara, 30 Kanals of non- agricultural land at the same place and two residential houses at Humhama and Sannat Nagar, have a market value of about Rs 5.69 crores.  His immoveable property is worth Rs Rs 10.5 lakh. Hussain, according to the affidavit, has liabilities of Rs 11 lakh which includes Rs  five lakh housing loan as an MLA and Rs 6 lakh loan from J&K Bank for purchasing of a vehicle.
 National Conference candidate Ali Muhammad Dar is no different from Monga and Hussain.
 Dar, fighting on NC  ticket and K-1 seat,  has property worth Rs 4. 50 crores. While the value of his moveable property is around Rs 32. 67 lakhs, the market value of his immoveable assets including 36 kanals of agricultural land has been pegged by him  at Rs 4. 20 crore.
 Dar, however, has an outstanding of Rs 9000 on account of government accommodation.
 Another candidate of PDP, Yasir Reshi, pitted against Monga of Congress has property worth Rs 8 crore. Reshi, hailing from Sonawari area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora, is in possession of moveable assets worth Rs 6 lakh while his wife has moveable property worth Rs 55 lakh and Rs 50,000.
 Yasir, according to the details, has 25 kanals of agricultural land and 70 Kanals of non-agricultural land.
 Although the details of exact market value of Reshi’s assets are not visible on the documents furnished by him, he  told this newspaper: “I have submitted that the value of my property is around Rs 8 crores.” But cash credit limit of the (loan) account of Reshi is Rs 6 crore.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 20 Nov 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 21 Nov 2012 00:00:00 IST