National
Scheme of electoral bonds is no reform, says JD-U leader
Kolkata, Jan 26 (IANS) Dismissing the electoral bonds scheme as “no reform”, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Pavan Varma on Friday advocated “digital tracking” of political financing and said that a panel of auditors should go through the accounts of parties.
The central government recently notified a scheme of electoral bonds in a bid to clean the system and bring transparency in political funding in the country.
“Today, with digital tracking of financial transactions, far greater inclusive transparency can be engineered to ensure that parties and politicians are more accountable. Also, what is the harm if you set up a panel of national auditors who will go through the accounts of political parties and put it on the website? The parties have to account for money received and money spent,” he said.
Varma said the Election Commission has proposed a series of steps which were lying before Parliament for years and no political party was willing to act upon them.
“The current change brought about in the law was complete eyewash. It enables big corporate houses to make donations. To make donations through bonds (without disclosing names) is no reform at all. The system continues as it is,” he said at a session on Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet here.
Currently, almost all of the funding is done through anonymous cash donations.
According to Varma, corruption in India, is not considered entirely wrong.
“It is like litmus paper. It is bad for the victim of corruption, while it is good for the beneficiary.
“There are institutional ways in which corruption flourishes. The single biggest reason of it is the nexus between unaccounted money and politics. Unless you break the nexus, you will continue to have scams in some form or other. Political parties need money…individuals are ambitious,” he said at the session “Is the Honesty Deficit India’s Biggest Challenge?”
Fellow panellist and veteran journalist N. Ram also said on political finance, it was easier today to be non-transparent and totally unaccountable when corporates made big donations to political parties.
“The electoral bond scheme is going to make it possible for corporate and high net worth individuals to make large donations to parties without disclosing the name of the party. Looking at the law, it is clear that the present government is far from wanting to reduce corruption in political finance. It is actually going to enable it under the pretext that big donors do not want their names to be revealed,” he said.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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