Deccan Herald: Bengaluru: Sunday, 21 April 2024.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Anjali noted that the government had reassured the anonymity to political donors after concerns over tracking of donations made to opposition parties.
Anjali Bhardwaj, National Coordinator, National Campaign for People's Right to Information said the State Bank of India continues to work in a shroud of secrecy and has refused key information on tracking of electoral bonds.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Anjali noted that the government had reassured the anonymity to political donors after concerns over tracking of donations made to opposition parties. In 2018, after a journalist revealed that the electoral bond paper contains an alphanumeric code that can only be read under ultraviolet light. This would allow the SBI thereby the ruling government to track the donors and recipients.
Compromising the anonymity assured by the Electoral Bond means the government knew the donors of the opposition parties.
“The Finance Ministry in great haste brought out a press release saying that there is no need to worry as the SBI has been clearly told not to record the unique alphanumeric number on the purchasers’ side or redeemers’ side. Neither the SBI nor the government would know. But now we know that full tracking was happening,” she said, adding that either the FInance Ministry was lying or the SBI was illegally tracking the bonds.
Anjali said the SBI has denied information sought under RTI Act regarding the standard operation procedure followed in keeping a track of these bonds. “The SBI says revealing the information will hurt the commercial interest of third parties. Even today, we are in the dark on how the violation happened,” she said.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Anjali noted that the government had reassured the anonymity to political donors after concerns over tracking of donations made to opposition parties.
Anjali Bhardwaj, National Coordinator, National Campaign for People's Right to Information said the State Bank of India continues to work in a shroud of secrecy and has refused key information on tracking of electoral bonds.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Anjali noted that the government had reassured the anonymity to political donors after concerns over tracking of donations made to opposition parties. In 2018, after a journalist revealed that the electoral bond paper contains an alphanumeric code that can only be read under ultraviolet light. This would allow the SBI thereby the ruling government to track the donors and recipients.
Compromising the anonymity assured by the Electoral Bond means the government knew the donors of the opposition parties.
“The Finance Ministry in great haste brought out a press release saying that there is no need to worry as the SBI has been clearly told not to record the unique alphanumeric number on the purchasers’ side or redeemers’ side. Neither the SBI nor the government would know. But now we know that full tracking was happening,” she said, adding that either the FInance Ministry was lying or the SBI was illegally tracking the bonds.
Anjali said the SBI has denied information sought under RTI Act regarding the standard operation procedure followed in keeping a track of these bonds. “The SBI says revealing the information will hurt the commercial interest of third parties. Even today, we are in the dark on how the violation happened,” she said.
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