Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajeev Kumar on Wednesday announced that details related to electoral bonds will be shared when the time comes and stressed that the commission believes in transparency.
Addressing reporters at the end of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Kumar also said that the Election Commission is fully prepared to conduct Assembly as well as Lok Sabha elections in the Union Territory.
At the end of his nationwide tour ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule, Kumar was asked whether the ECI will disclose details of electoral bonds purchased since April 12, 2019, following the Supreme Court’s direction? State Bank of India (SBI) has issued electoral bonds worth Rs 16,518 crore in 30 installments since the launch of the scheme in 2018.
Kumar said, ‘SBI had to submit the details by March 12. He gave us the details on time. I will go back and look at the details and it will definitely be revealed when the time comes.
He said the Commission believes only in ‘disclosures, disclosures and disclosures’ to ensure high standards of transparency.
The Supreme Court had directed SBI to submit details of electoral bonds purchased from April 12, 2019 onwards, to the Election Commission. SBI is the authorized financial institution to issue electoral bonds.
The SBI on Tuesday evening submitted details of the entities that had purchased the now expired electoral bonds and the political parties that had encashed them.
According to the apex court order, the Election Commission will have to publish the information shared by the bank on its official website by 5 pm on March 15.
SBI today (Wednesday) filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court, stating that between April 1, 2019 and February 15 this year, a total of 22,217 electoral bonds were purchased by donors, of which 22,030 were encashed by political parties.
The affidavit stated that details including date of purchase of each electoral bond, name of the purchaser and denomination of the bond purchased have been furnished.
According to the affidavit, a total of 3,346 electoral bonds were purchased and 1,609 were encashed between April 1, 2019, and April 11, 2019. The affidavit said that from April 12, 2019 (the starting date as per the Supreme Court) till February 15 this year, a total of 18,871 electoral bonds were purchased and 20,421 were encashed.
Kumar arrived here on Wednesday to review the preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. CEC said that we are absolutely ready for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“We will ensure free and fair elections across the country,” he said. We request voters across the country, including Jammu and Kashmir, to enthusiastically participate in the ‘Festival of Democracy’.
He said that social media cells will be set up in all the districts to prevent fake news. “Adequate security will be provided to all the candidates and central forces will be deployed,” he said.
Kumar said online cash transfers through ‘wallets’ will be strictly monitored in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that people above 85 years of age and persons with disabilities will be provided the facility of voting at home in Jammu and Kashmir.