TN CMs chary of declaring assets

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No chief minister in Tamil Nadu has declared his/her assets for a long time.

Even the handful of MLAs and ministers who had come up with such disclosures had ceased doing it since 1996 as the resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly on declaring assets by MLAs, ministers and the presiding officer made it voluntary.

The House had unanimously passed the resolution moved by then chief minister M. Karunanidhi on August 27, 1969, seeking declaration of assets by MLAs, including ministers and the Speaker.

The Assembly also wanted the Centre “to bring forward legislation incorporating the content of this resolution”.

Since no such legislation was brought forward, the declaration of assets remained voluntary and the resolution was conveniently forgotten.

But when it was first moved by the DMK chief minister, the resolution had pointed out that it was necessary for the people to get convinced that their representatives were holding offices only for the public good and not for their own benefit.

“It is necessary in the public interest to avoid even the slightest degree of suspicion in the minds of the common people regarding the absolute integrity of the members,” the resolution had said.

RTI activist V. Madhav, whose public interest litigation to enforce the 1969 resolution was dismissed by the Madras high court, said that in order to ensure transparency the members should declare their assets, even if voluntarily.

“The Assembly should now pass an act to replace the resolution and make it mandatory for the members to declare their assets,” he said.

M.P. Jamaludeen, secretary of the Assembly, told this newspaper that the declaration of assets is not mandatory, as it does not come in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Rules framed under clause (1) of article 208 of the Constitution of India.