Cong rejects EC proposals on transparency in poll funding

Rejecting Election Commission's suggestions on transparency and accountability in poll funding, the Congress party has expressed its inability to issue receipts to all persons or companies making donations to it for elections as it "neither practical nor possible".

In a communication to the EC, the ruling party said it is also "difficult" to implement suggestions that all expenses or donations above Rs 20,000 be made through crossed cheques or bank transfer.

The ruling party has rejected all ten suggestions made by the poll body on issue of guidelines for transparency in party funding.

The party, in its response, has said that "only if a consensus emerges" the EC may suggest to the Central government to make appropriate amendments in the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and to frame rules to make the process of accounting of poll expenses more transparent.

To a suggestion to keep the party funds so collected in a bank account within a reasonable time frame, the Congress party has said that it should be left to the parties to decide whether to deposit funds in banks or keep it in the party office.

"It should be left to the party to decide whether they want to deposit it in a bank or to keep it in its office premises or use it for party purposes directly," Congress Party treasurer Motilal Vora said in the letter.

To another suggestion, he said, "The manner and method of disbursing party funds for meeting election campaign expenses is again outside the statutory provisions of the RPA, 1951. From a practical standpoint, it may not be possible that all election campaign expenses are disbursed only by crossed account payee cheques or draft or RTGS or NEFT or internet transfer."

While a majority of parties including BJP are yet to respond to the EC suggestions for framing of guidelines to bring transparency in poll funding, only 11 have submitted their views.