The government should use the findings of the Association for Democratic Reforms as the catalyst to make donations as well as spending by political parties cashless in order to bring in greater transparency. A CAG audit of such a system will also help people develop greater trust in the political system (Editorial – “Donations and disclosures”, Jan.26).
Vikalp Mathur, Navi Mumbai
All the glib talk and vacuous acts such as demonetisation to tackle the scourge of corruption will never lead to the desired results till such time as political funding becomes transparent. The nexus between political parties and business is an open secret. It is this quid pro quo which fuels corruption. Every contributed penny in political funding must be accounted for. Moreover, the Election Commission must be given more teeth to rein in expenditure during an election. An independent organisation needs to scrutinise and audit accounts of all political parties. The Right to Information Act must extend to all parties. However, the moot question is: “Will those who ‘run the show’ exhibit the will and the desire to remain clean?”
Vijai Pant, Hempur, Uttarakhand
Section 13A of the Income Tax Act must be scrapped and a new law introduced to govern party funding. All parties must go cashless and accept all donations through bank transactions or using other banking instruments with a bank deputed by the Election Commission to oversee the process. This is a step whose effect will be much greater than demonetisation.
Aarthi Venkatesh, Bengaluru
