In a puzzling turn of events, the State Bank of India (SBI) has declined to provide complete information regarding electoral bonds, despite the data already being accessible on the Election Commission website. This refusal has sparked criticism and raised questions about transparency and accountability.
RTI activist Commodore Lokesh Batra (retired) sought the complete data of electoral bonds from SBI in digital format, as per the Supreme Court’s order. However, SBI cited two exemptions under the Right to Information (RTI) Act – sections 8(1)(e) related to records held in a fiduciary capacity and 8(1)(j) allowing withholding of personal information – to justify withholding the details of the now-defunct electoral bonds scheme.
SBI’s response stated, “Information sought by you is containing details of purchasers and political parties and hence, cannot be disclosed as it is held in fiduciary capacity disclosure of which is exempted under sections 8(1)(e) and (j) of the RTI Act.” This decision has been labeled as “bizarre” by Batra, considering the information’s public availability.
Furthermore, Batra also inquired about the legal fees for senior advocate Harish Salve, who represented SBI in the Supreme Court regarding the disclosure of electoral bonds data. However, SBI declined to provide this information, citing taxpayer money concerns.
The Election Commission had already published the electoral bonds data provided by SBI on its official website, revealing donors, amounts, and recipient political parties. The Supreme Court criticized SBI for not disclosing unique numbers associated with each electoral bond, which would enable matching donors with political parties.
SBI disclosed that 22,217 electoral bonds were purchased by donors between April 1, 2019, and February 15 this year, with 22,030 redeemed by political parties. This development underscores ongoing debates about transparency in political funding and the role of financial institutions in ensuring accountability in electoral processes.
Sources By Agencies
