12 Maharashtra ministers have revealed assets, liabilities: RTI

Only 12 members of the Maharashtra Cabinet have declared their assets and liabilities details as per Central government's code of conduct for ministers, an RTI query has revealed. The Cabinet strength increased to 39 from 28 recently after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inducted some new faces.

City-based RTI activist Anil Galgali last month had sought information from the General Administration Department (GAD) on 'assets and liabilities' declared by the ministers - Cabinet and MoS.

Under Secretary of GAD, K S Parab, in his reply informed that 11 ministers had divulged their property and assets details to the Chief Minister, while Fadnavis made his declaration to the state Chief Secretary. The reply also stated that according to code of conduct drafted by the Centre, it is compulsory for ministers to declare their property and responsibilities statement. Supreme Court, however, stipulates that it is not mandatory.

The 12 ministers including Devendra Fadnavis are Chandrakant Patil (Revenue), Sudhir Mungantiwar (Finance), Vinod Tawde (School Education), Prakash Mehta (Housing), Subhash Desai (Industries), Ram Shinde (Home, Public Health), Girish Bapat (Food and Civil Supplies), Girish Mahajan (Irrigation), Diwakar Raote (Transport), Babanrao Lonikar (Water supply) and Pravin Pote Patil (Minister of State- Environment).