NEW DELHI: As many as 34% of ministers in states have declared criminal cases pending against themselves, while 76% are crorepatis with average assets of Rs 8.59 crore, finds a new study.

Declarations of a total of 609 ministers out of 620 have been analysed from 29 state assemblies and two Union Territories by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). Among the ministers with highest assets include Ponguru Narayana of Telugu Desam Party with total assets of Rs 496 crore, followed by Karnataka minister D K Shivakumar(Rs 251crore).

Out of the 609 state ministers whose declarations were analysed, 210 (34%) ministers have criminal cases against their names. 24 (31%) out of 78 ministers in the Centre, have declared criminal cases against themselves. 113 ministers from state assemblies have declared serious criminal cases, including cases related to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, and crimes against women.

Out of the 78 ministers in the Centre whose declarations were analysed, 14 have declared serious criminal cases against themselves, the study said. The average assets per minister from state assemblies is Rs 8.59 crore. Compared to this, the average assets of the Union council of ministers is Rs 12.94 crore.

The state with the highest average assets per minister is Andhra Pradesh (20 ministers)+ with average assets of Rs 45.49 crore, followed by Karnataka (31ministers) with average assets of Rs 36.96 crore and Arunachal Pradesh (7 ministers) with average assets of Rs 32.62 crore.

The state with the lowest average assets of ministers is Tripura (12 ministers) with average assets of Rs 31.67 lakh. All state council of ministers analysed from Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab and Puducherry are crorepatis. They are followed by 97% ministers of Karnataka and 92% from Rajasthan, Goa, Meghalaya and Chhattisgarh who have also declared assets valued at Rs 1crore and above.