No Growth In Nitish Kumar's Assets, Except In Cowshed

Last year, the Chief Minister had Rs 42,000 in cash, which has slid to Rs 38,039 this year.

Two cows and a calf - that's the main increase in Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's assets since the last year, the annual assets statement of Bihar ministers show.

In his third term, Mr Kumar has done away with some good practices -- like the release of an annual performance report of his government. But one practice that is still continuing is the annual assets statement of the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues.

Since 2010 the list is uploaded on the government website for public scrutiny. This year's list, released last evening, again confirmed that a lot of the Chief Minister's cabinet colleagues are financially better off than him.

The sole growth in Nitish Kumar's property took place in his cowshed - from eight cows and six calves last year, its population increased to 10 cows and seven calves.

Last year, the Chief Minister had Rs 42,000 in cash, which has slid to Rs 38,039 this year. He has movable assets worth Rs 16 lakh and immovable assets worth Rs 40 lakh, which includes a flat in Delhi's Dwarka.

Mr Kumar's son -- who inherited property from his late mother, a teacher at a government school -- has movable property worth around Rs 1.39 crore and immovable property worth around Rs 1.48 crore.

Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi has assets worth Rs 1.26 crore. His wife had assets worth Rs 1.65 crore. Mr Modi has around Rs 81.54 lakh and his wife, a professor, has Rs 97.18 lakh in the bank.

The states richest minister, Suresh Sharma, has registered assets worth over Rs 9 crore.

The poorest man in Nitish Kumar's cabinet is Neeraj Kumar, who has assets worth 35.87 lakh and a liability of Rs 27 lakh, following a loan he took.

Sanjay Jha, who was inducted in the cabinet just last year, has assets worth Rs 22 crore, which he holds jointly with his wife. He also owns a couple of shops in two malls of Delhi.