I-T return details mandatory: EC
The Election Commission of India has made furnishing of details about income-tax returns, apart from providing information about inherited property, mandatory. This has been communicated to all the recognised political parties and chief electoral officers of all states and Union Territories by the ECI in a letter.
The IT returns of spouses and other dependants also need to be provided under the new direction.
The new move comes in the backdrop of reports that black money and the use of illegal wealth is all set to be curbed by the ECI, as part of its attempt to clean up the electoral process. This new measure was taken in consultation with the Central Board of Direct taxes (CBDT). The ECI has already put in place a mechanism to curb the use of illegal money in elections by appointing a senior IRS officer as the head of the newly appointed Election Expenditure Monitoring Cell. As per the new directions, the affidavit should contain details of the financial year for which the last I-T return has been filed and the total income shown in the (same) I-T return. Candidates also will have to provide information on the clause of inheritance, when it comes to Immovable property categorised as agricultural land, non-agricultural land, commercial buildings and residential buildings, in addition to the current market value.
Making a case for the new measures, the ECI has said in its letter, “Based on the experience since then, the Commission has made some modifications in the format of the affidavit for better and effective dissemination of information to the electors about the background of the candidates.”
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