North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor and Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has only Rs 25,000 in cash, bank term deposits of over Rs 50 lakh, and no bonds, shares, or insurance policies.
The minister, in his affidavit submitted as a BJP candidate for the Assam assembly polls from Jalukbari, declared that he does not own any immovable property or car, but has assets to the tune of Rs 1.72 crore – up from Rs 1.02 crore in 2016.
His family income, however, has increased by more than Rs 10 crore over the last five years, with his wife’s assets alone having registered a hike of over Rs 9 crore.
The collective wealth of the minister’s family of four, which includes his two children, is currently worth Rs 17.27 crore, up from Rs 6.38 crore five years ago.
The 52-year-old BJP leader’s son, shown as a dependent, has property worth Rs 55.71 lakh, while his daughter, who had nothing to her credit in 2016, currently has movable assets to the tune of Rs 52 lakh.
His wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, has assets, both movable and immovable taken together, worth Rs 14.47 crore. In 2016, it stood at Rs 5.27 crore.
She has Rs 31,000 cash in hand, down from Rs 85,000 in 2016. Her bank deposits have increased ten times to Rs 99.64 lakh from over Rs 9 lakh.
Similarly, her investments in bonds, shares and mutual funds have soared to 7.22 crore from Rs 29.20 lakh.
The minister has not purchased any gold since 2016, and currently has 180 gm of yellow metal, the value of which has increased to Rs 7.74 lakh in 2021 from the earlier Rs 5 lakh in 2016.
Riniki’s gold jewellery has doubled to 1459.21 gm, valued at over Rs 60 lakh, from 757 gm, which was worth Rs 22.70 lakh in 2016. She possesses two cars, one of which was added after the last polls, and four non-agricultural plots.
Their children own gold, precious stones and beads worth Rs 40 lakh each.
The BJP strongman currently has liabilities, which include bank loans and advances from friends and families, to the tune of Rs 68.48 lakh as against Rs 8 lakh five years ago.
The couple has no unpaid dues and both of them have filed income taxes, with Sarma paying Rs 25 lakh and his wife Rs 2.97 crore for the year 2019-20.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, a doctorate from Gauhati University, has shown government coffers as his source of income, while his wife draws salary from Pride East Entertainment Private Limited as its chairperson-cum managing director.
