Ministers, officers should disclose assets: Minister

Union Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh favoured "public disclosure" of assets by all ministers, officers and top industrialists, notwithstanding PMO's decision to keep such information related to ministers and their relatives under wraps.

Union Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh on Monday favoured "public disclosure" of assets by all ministers, officers and top industrialists, notwithstanding PMO's decision to keep such information related to ministers and their relatives under wraps.

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"I do not know where is the problem but in my opinion the life of a person leading a public life should be like an open book," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a conference here when asked why there are obstructions to declaration of assets by ministers.

Singh, the Vice President of key UPA ally RJD, however, at the same time did not appear favouring asset-declaration under RTI.

"No RTI. There should self disclosure. People should themselves make it public," Singh said.

The PMO has decided to keep the assets of ministers and their relatives under wraps saying such information was exempted from the Right to Information Act.

The PMO's response came in reply to an RTI application seeking details of the assets of ministers and their relatives. Singh, however, felt, "be it a minister, the minister's relatives, big shots in politics, industrialists or top officers all should disclose their properties."

Singh also accused the opposition NDA of sabotaging a bill moved by him for this purpose in the past.

"I had moved a bill in the Lok Sabha during the NDA regime. The Bill suggested an arrangement in which information regarding assets of those in public life would be available just like telephone numbers in a directory. But they (NDA government) did not let it pass," he said.

"People should know... What additions or subtractions he made during his public life," Singh added.