Bangalore: Here’s a minister with no assets

Bangalore Mirror

Bangalore, 01 July 2011: All this crusade against corruption and clamour for Lokpal Bill give the impression that ministers’ bank accounts must be stashed with crores of rupees. Perhaps, it is mostly true, but there is at least one exception. Call it if you like ‘exception proves the rule’.

 

S Suresh Kumar, minister of Urban Development, Law and Parliamentary Affairs in the state, has only Rs 7,500 in his bank account. And it had almost jeopardized his first-ever overseas trip. Twice he had been a corporator, thrice an MLA and now, he is a minister in the state cabinet. His political career spans nearly 30 years, but Suresh Kumar has never gone abroad before.

 

Early morning Sunday (12.45 am), he will be embarking on a trip to Singapore to present a paper at a world leaders’ summit, to be held from July 4 to 8, at the Singapore International Water Week. Getting visa would have been a problem because his personal bank balance is a paltry Rs 7,500. Thankfully, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), which he heads, bailed him out, stating that he is representing the cash-rich board at the summit and hence, be issued the visa.

 

An official of the minister’s office told Bangalore Mirror, “To get visa on his own, the minister needed to have Rs 3 lakh in bank. Thankfully, the BWSSB came forward as sponsor. We are expecting the visa to reach us soon.”

It’s strange indeed that a senior politician, who served jail term with Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani during Emergency, has never been abroad before. Nowadays, even budding politicians undertake visits to places like Malaysia, Bangkok, Macau almost every month.

 

Suresh Kumar got his passport done in 2006, after he became minister for the first time. And that too was not voluntarily done — his family and friends had to coax him a lot, sources said. “Thank god, he at least has a passport,” a BWSSB official said.

 

Suresh Kumar is known for his simplicity. Before he became a minister, he was often spotted driving his two-wheeler on city roads; sometimes dropping his wife at her office. He used to walk the streets and was very accessible to the public

Basavaraj Bommai, minister for major and minimum irrigation, and four senior BWSSB officials will accompany Suresh Kumar to Singapore. The latter will be presenting a paper, titled ‘Sustainable water solutions for a changing urban environment’. Delegations from other Indian states will also be attending the summit.

 

When Bangalore Mirror contacted Suresh Kumar and asked about his bank balance, he laughed and said, “I am like this.” Then on a serious vein he added, “If one goes on an official tour abroad representing Karnataka, the person should ensure that it is worthwhile. No one should go just to have fun. I have my own principles, and I follow them.

 

“I am really excited about the trip. I am looking forward to the summit as it is related to water. Singapore, which itself has seen great developments, might provide us with solutions to some of our problems. There is a lot to learn, and I am going to learn.”