EBs Sale Crosses Rs.12 Thousands Crores Mark. 94.124 % of Total Value of EBs Sold are of 01 Cr value denomination.
Electoral Bonds: Amid Concerns on Opacity, Donations Cross Rs 10,000-Crore Mark https://thewire.in/government/electoral-bonds-amid-concerns-on-opacity-donations-breach-rs-10000-crore-mark
Several transparency activists, organisations and political parties have over the years expressed concern about the lack of transperancy around these bonds, as the identity of donors purchasing them remains a secret. According to Right to Information (RTI) activist Commodore Lokesh Batra (retired), who has been tracking the sale of these bonds and their redemption by designated branches of the State Bank of India, the sale of these bonds reached the milestone of Rs 10,000 crore during the 21st Phase under which they were sold from July 1 to July 10.
While the electoral bond scheme was introduced with the Finance Bill 2017 and notified in January 2018 to provide funding to political parties which secure not less than 1% of the votes polled in the last general election to the Lok Sabha or a state assembly, the manner in which it allowed anonymous donations, most of the funds went to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had raised eyebrows.
The first to raise a red flag was the Election Commission, which in 2017 itself had raised serious concerns about the scheme. Subsequently, a number of petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court since 2018 challenging its legality. The apex court has twice refused an interim stay on the scheme as sought in its petition by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).