The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to unveil the comprehensive details of electoral bonds purchased between April 1, 2019, and February 15 this year, tomorrow.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar confirmed the commission’s unwavering dedication to transparency, announcing that the details of electoral bonds would be made public on the official website by 5 pm on March 15, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directive.
The announcement follows a groundbreaking verdict on February 15, where a five-judge Constitution bench invalidated the Centre’s electoral bonds scheme, labelling it “unconstitutional”.
The apex court mandated the EC to divulge information regarding donors, the sum contributed, and the recipients by March 13.
The State Bank of India (SBI), in a compliance affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, revealed that a total of 22,217 electoral bonds were procured by donors between April 1, 2019, and February 15 this year, with 22,030 being redeemed by political parties.
According to the affidavit, SBI accurately complied with the court’s instructions, furnishing details such as the purchase date, purchaser names, and bond denominations to the ECI before the March 12 deadline.
The affidavit outlined the breakdown of electoral bond transactions, highlighting that between April 1, 2019, and April 11, 2019, 3,346 bonds were purchased, of which 1,609 were redeemed.
Additionally, from April 12, 2019, to February 15 this year, 18,871 electoral bonds were bought, with 20,421 redeemed.
It further highlighted that SBI maintained comprehensive records, capturing purchase dates, denominations, buyer identities, and the date and denominations of bonds encashed by political parties.
Accompanying the affidavit was a letter, affirming the transfer of uncashed electoral bonds to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund, as stipulated by Gazette notification no.20 dated January 2, 2018.
