Live
- Omar Abdullah Urges Congress To Earn INDIA Bloc Leadership Role
- Yogi Adityanath Contrasts Historical And Modern Treatment Of Workers In India
- Historic Temple In Sambhal Reopens After 46-Year Closure Following 1978 Riots
- Officials directed to work for deeper reach of guarantees
- Delay In 'One Nation, One Election' Bills Introduction Announced
- Exhilarating ‘Benchmark’ of Venkat Changavalli
- Development activities worth `30 cr launched in Puthalapattu constituency
- Allegations against KTR baseless: BRS leader
- Megastar Chiranjeevi to Visit Allu Arjun’s Residence at 12 PM Today
- Nilima Rane: Trailblazer in Nursing
Plea to bring Political Parties Under RTI: SC notice to Centre
Plea To Bring Political Parties Under RTI: SC Notice To Centre. The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought responses from the Centre, the Election Commission and six political parties, including Congress and BJP, on a plea to declare all national and regional political parties \"public authorities\" to bring them under the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
.jpg)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought responses from the Centre, the Election Commission and six political parties, including Congress and BJP, on a plea to declare all national and regional political parties "public authorities" to bring them under the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
"Issue notice," a bench comprising Chief Justice H L Dattu and justices Arun Kumar Mishra and Amitava Roy said. The Association for Democratic Reforms, an NGO, has also sought a direction that the political parties be asked to declare all donations, including those below Rs. 20,000 also.
Lawyer Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, contended that political parties were public authorities and hence amenable to the RTI Act.
The Central Information Commission, in its detailed order, had held that political parties were public authorities and hence should disclose the information under RTI Act. "Political parties do not have to pay the income tax on the donations and, moreover, the donations below Rs. 20,000 are not to be disclosed under the law by them," the lawyer said, adding that these parties also controlled the legislature and the law-making process. Earlier, the NGO had approached SC seeking transparency and accountability in functioning of recognised national and regional political parties. It had claimed that the political parties received huge sums of money in form of donations and contributions from corporates, trusts and individuals but do not disclose complete information about the source of such donations.
In its plea, the NGO had urged the apex court to direct all national and regional parties to mandatorily disclose details about their income as well as expenditure. It had also sought declaration of entire details of donations and funding received by the political parties, irrespective of the amount donated and details of donors making donations to them and to electoral trusts.
The petition had claimed that political parties enjoyed a stronghold over their elected MPs and MLAs under Schedule 10 of the Constitution that makes it compulsory for members of either Houses of Parliament or state legislatures to abide by the directions of their parties, failing which they stand to be disqualified.
