Poor Manik Sarkar gets poorer

AGARTALA

: Manik Sarkar, who is running for the fifth consecutive term as

Tripura

chief minister and probably the poorest of all the chief ministers in the country has only become poorer at the fag end of his fourth term.

He doesn’t carry a mobile phone. He neither has an email account nor any social media account.

The 69-year-old CPM stalwart, who is homeless (has been staying in CM’s official quarters for 20 years now), started off his campaign this election with just Rs 1520 cash in hand. In 2013, his affidavit said he had Rs 1080 cash in hand but was slightly better off in 2003 with Rs 3,000 cash in hand.

Sarkar’s affidavit submitted on Monday when he filed his nomination for

Dhanpur

constituency shows that his bank balance till January 20 was Rs 2410.16 deposited in his single bank account with SBI, Agartala branch (a/c number 10915315442). In 2013 his deposit in this account was shown was Rs 9,720.38.

In 2008, he had a different savings account (number 10915315442) with the same branch and a deposit of Rs 8,992.38. He also had a second savings account with

UCO

bank in Agartala (number 35789) with a deposit of Rs 4,928 then.

His wife,

Panchali Bhattacharjee

, is a retired state government employee, and according to the mandatory declaration of her financial position, Sarkar’s affidavit says she has Rs 20,140 cash in hand and Rs 12,15,714.18 in three savings accounts and fixed depsoits. She has 20 gm of gold.

The only movable property that the Sarkar’s have is a non-agricultural land measuring 0.0118 acre at Krishnanagar area in Agartala, which is 1/7 of a land jointly owned by her sisters and brothers. This plot along with a house of 888.35 sq ft is an inherited property. Sarkar has declared that his wife has invested Rs 15 lalkh so far on construction work on the land.

The couple has no children. A commerce graduate from Maharaja Bir Bikram College, Agartala, Sarkar said, “The people of the state are my children.”


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