Odisha health minister Naba Kishore Das has a penchant for new cars, which has come to light after he submitted his list of properties.

Das and his family own a fleet of vehicles, including a Mercedes-Benz.

In sharp contrast, chief minister Naveen Patnaik only has a 1980-make Ambassador.

Das has purchased all the vehicles within a span of two years between 2018 and 2020. The minister, who hails from the industrial town of Jharsuguda in western Odisha, owns properties worth Rs 34 crore. A businessman, Das had joined the BJD just before the elections after quitting the Congress, of which he was then an MLA.

All these vehicles are valued at Rs 24.69 crore and price of the Mercedes-Benz alone is Rs 1.96 crore. Das owns immovable properties worth over Rs 1.81 crore, while his wife Minati Das owns immovable properties worth Rs 1.74 crore.

Asked about how he came to own such a large fleet of vehicles, Das told The Telegraph: “My family has several businesses. My son is also into business. We all pay income tax. We are into several businesses, including transport and hotel. What is wrong in owning multiple vehicles?”

Das said his family business was flourishing.

Besides movable and immovable properties and fixed deposits, he has three licensed guns, including a .32 revolver, a 12-bore gun and a 22-bore rifle. Das has properties in Delhi, Calcutta and other parts of Odisha.

A law degree holder, Das started his political career with the Students’ Federation of India (SFI). He represented Jharsuguda constituency in 2009 and was re-elected in 2014.