New Delhi: Between Future Gaming and Hotel Services PR and Future Gaming and Hotel Services Pvt. Ltd, the 2 corporations bought electoral bonds value over 1,300 crores, reveals information on the Electoral Bonds scheme launched by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Data additionally reveals that amongst those that bought electoral bonds amounting to the very best worth had been Future Gaming and Hotel Services PR, Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd, Qwik Supply Chain Pvt. Ltd, Haldia Energy Ltd and Vedanta Ltd.
According to media reviews, Future Gaming and Hotel Services is a lottery firm that was going through an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe in 2022.
The information on electoral bonds was submitted to the ballot panel by the State Bank of India (SBI) Tuesday, in step with the deadline set by the Supreme Court which had additionally directed the EC to make this information public by 15 March.
Uploaded on the Commission’s web site, the information additionally reveals that one other agency by the title of Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd bought 966 electoral bonds value over Rs 966 crores.
According to its Linkedin web page, the agency is a Telangana-based firm that “operates through its major business lines such as water management, engineering, construction, manufacturing, transportation, hydrocarbons, power, process industries, and defence”.
Released by the Election Commission Thursday, the 2 separate paperwork of 763 pages every give information on electoral bonds bought by particular person donors and encashed by political events. According to the Supreme Court, SBI issued electoral bonds value Rs 16,518 crore in 30 tranches because the inception of the scheme in 2018.
Among outstanding names featured within the record of donors had been these of Piramal Enterprises Ltd, Piramal Capital and Housing Finance and Piramal Pharma Ltd, whose mixed buy of electoral bonds was value Rs 48 crore.
Data additionally reveals that gold mortgage NBFC Muthoot Finance bought 30 electoral bonds value Rs 10 lakh every in April 2019.
Further, it reveals that Vedanta Ltd — a multinational mining agency headquartered in Mumbai — bought 386 electoral bonds value over Rs 370 crore between 2019 and 2024, whereas telecom large Bharti Airtel Ltd bought electoral bonds value 183 crore, of which these value 142 crore had been bought November 2023 onwards. Data additionally reveals that an entity recognized as “Bharti Airtel Limited Airtel CurreNT AC-GCO” bought electoral bonds value Rs 13.20 crore in April 2019, weeks forward of the Lok Sabha elections.
While releasing the information, the EC in a press release stated: “In compliance of Hon’ble Supreme Court’s directions, contained in its order dated Feb 15 & March 11, 2024 (in the matter of WPC NO.880 of 2017), the State Bank of India (SBI) had provided the data pertaining to the electoral bonds to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on March 12, 2024.”
It added: “It may be recalled that in the said matter, ECI has consistently and categorically weighed in favour of disclosure and transparency, a position reflected in the proceedings of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and noted in the order also.”
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who appeared for petitioner Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) within the Supreme Court within the electoral bonds case, nonetheless, stated in a put up on X (previously Twitter) Thursday, “The Info of #ElectoralBonds uploaded by EC (which they say is as recd from SBI), does not give the serial number of the bonds, which is necessary for finding who gave bond to whom. This was implicit in SC Jt. SBI affidavit said this info is recorded though in separate silos.”
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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