Is there a political will for more transparency?

[sidmis]

Is there a political will for more transparency?
as reported by CJ: Ravindra Beleyur, MeriNews

THE ELECTION Commission has made it mandatory for all the contesting
candidates to file their affidavits of statement of assets and
liabilities at the time of elections. An IIM- Bangalore Professor and
his team have thoroughly investigated such affidavits filed by the
contestants during 2004 elections and 2008 elections.

The study reveals that there are candidates whose assets have
multiplied many times in these four years. But, we rarely come across
the details of wealth tax paid in respect of the huge assets they show
in their affidavits. In fact, the Income tax paid on their income also
gives an indication how they could amass such huge wealth in many of
the cases.

In this context, it is interesting note the order of the Chief
Information Commissioner in the case - D E Robinson vs. Income Tax
Department - Goa -F.No.CIC/AT/A/2007/01522, Dated, the 27th June,
2008. In this case, Robinson had applied under RTI before IT
authorities asking them the following questions:

1. Whether in all the cases where the contesting candidates have
declared immovable property viz. "urban land" as defined in Section
2(ea) explanation 1(b) of the Wealth Tax Act, (including agricultural
land situated within the 8 k.m. limit of notified towns) the value
declared were verified in the content of tax liability under Wealth
Tax Act.

2. In how many cases it was found that the land has been declared in
respective Wealth Tax Returns.

3. In how many cases the land declared in the affidavits filed before
Election Commission were found not declared in Wealth Tax Returns.

4. In how many cases action was taken to bring to tax correctly the
said property so declared properly valued.

The Central Public Information denied the information under the
pretext that the information sought was personal and he also stated
that the matter is under verification. Robinson appealed against this
order. The appellate authority dismissed the appeal and asked the
appellant to ask for specific information rather than too general
information. The appellant complained to the Central Information
Commission in this regard with all his justifications.

The Central Information Commissioner appreciated the public-spirited
and concerned appellant but it could not go against the order of the
appellate authority since the data are available with two different
public authorities and there is no coordination between those two
authorities as of now. However, CIC directed that the copy of the
entire order to be sent to the Revenue Secretary of Government of
India, Chairman -CBDT and the Election Commission with an intention
that all these bodies could devise a system by which assets declared
by the contesting candidates before the Election Commission could be
cross checked with the data available before the Income Tax Authorities.
Election Commission may insist on the disclosure of payment of Income
Tax and Wealth Tax for at least three financial years instead of the
data for only one year as of now.

Now the questions are

• Will there be a political will for facilitating of a system which
  could be developed by the IT department and Election Commission for cross checking of the data furnished by contesting candidates?
• Will the IT Investigating Officers have the daringness to collect
  all the declarations already filed by all the contesting candidates in
  the recent elections irrespective of the affiliations to any party and
  do a cross checking of their wealth and income declared vis a vis with the data available with the IT authorities - which could bring in huge revenue to the exchequer?
• Shall we have wishful hope that the order passed by the CIC would
  trigger the IT department, CBDT and Election Commission to do
  something which will bring better transparency and make our contesting candidates better tax payers at least in the long run - say we could see the impact of this order within five to six years?

Is there a political will for more transparency?