EC believes in transparency, will announce details of electoral bonds ‘on time’: CEC Rajiv Kumar
According to a Supreme Court order, the Election Commission will have to publish the details of the electoral bonds shared by the State Bank of India (SBI) on its official website by March 15 at 5 pm.
Lok Sabha elections 2024: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Wednesday announced that he would share details of electoral bonds “in time” and asserted that the commission believed in complete transparency.
Speaking to reporters at the end of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Kumar also said the poll body was ready to conduct both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the Union Territory.
Kumar, who ended his nationwide visits ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha election manifesto, was asked whether the ECI would release the details of the electoral bonds purchased since April 12, 2019 on the directions of the Supreme Court.
The State Bank of India (SBI) has issued electoral bonds worth Rs 16,518 crore in 30 tranches since the inception of the scheme in 2018.
“The SBI should submit the details by March 12. They gave us the details on time. I will go back and look at the data (and) definitely make it public in time,” Kumar said.
He said the committee only believed “in disclosure, disclosure and disclosure” to ensure high standards of transparency.
The Supreme Court had directed SBI to submit details of the electoral bonds purchased since April 12, 2019 to the EC. The SBI is the authorized financial institution to issue the electoral bonds.
The SBI on Tuesday evening provided details of entities that had purchased the now scrapped electoral bonds and political parties that redeemed them.
As per the Supreme Court order, the Election Commission will have to publish the data shared by the bank on its official website by March 15 at 5 pm.
The Supreme Court had on February 15 struck down the Centre’s electoral bond scheme, which allowed anonymous political financing, terming it “unconstitutional” and ordered the EC to make disclosure of the donors, the amount donated by them and the recipients.
The SBI had sought time till June 30 to make the details public. However, his plea was rejected by the Supreme Court and it asked the bench to submit all details to the Election Commission before closing time on Tuesday.
Today, the SBI filed a compliance affidavit in the Supreme Court, informing that a total of 22,217 electoral bonds were purchased by donors between April 1, 2019 and February 15 this year, of which 22,030 were redeemed by political parties.
Details were provided, including the date of purchase of each electoral bond, the names of the purchaser and the value of the bonds purchased.
The affidavit states that between April 1, 2019 and April 11, 2019, a total of 3,346 election bonds were purchased and 1,609 were redeemed.
It further states that between April 12, 2019 (commencement date as per the Supreme Court) and February 15 this year, a total of 18,871 electoral bonds were purchased and 20,421 were redeemed.
Kumar, who arrived here on Wednesday to review preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, also said the European Commission was ready for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“We will ensure free and fair elections across the country. We request voters across the country, including Jammu and Kashmir, to enthusiastically participate in the festival of democracy,” he said.
He said that a social media cell will be set up in all districts to respond to fake news in real time.
“Adequate security will be provided to all candidates and central forces will be deployed,” he added.
Kumar said that online money transfers through wallets will be strictly monitored in Jammu and Kashmir.
People over 85 years of age and people with disabilities will be given the opportunity to vote at home within the Union territory, he added.
(Only the headline was reworked by India.com staff. The copy is from an agency feed)