NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, JULY 3
The Election Commission has launched a web portal that will allow parties to file their financial accounts—contribution report, audited annual account and election expenditure statements—online.
Political Parties will now be able to file financial accounts online, with the Election Commission opening a web-portal for filing of three types of reports. Read here: https://t.co/qr3ceua3N8
— Spokesperson ECI (@SpokespersonECI) July 3, 2023
The Commission has in a letter to political parties said the step has been taken with the twin objectives of overcoming difficulties in filing physical reports, and to ensure timely filing in a standardised format. The EC has launched a a new web-portal (https://iems.eci.gov.in/) for the purpose, which will now allow parties to file their financial statements completely through the online mode. As per the Representation of People’s Act, 1951 and the transparency guidelines issued by the Commission from time to time over the years, parties are required to submit to the EC their contribution report, audited annual account and election expenditure statement.
- The initiative has been taken with twin objectives – to overcome difficulties in filing physical reports and to ensure timely filing in a standardized format
- Commission to provide a manual and FAQ explaining use of the on-line portal; Hands-on training sessions to be organized for political parties
The online availability of the data is expected to enhance the level of compliance and transparency. In the letter, the ECI pointed to the pivotal position of political parties, and stressed that it is incumbent on them to adhere to the principles of democratic functioning and transparency in electoral processes, particularly in financial disclosures.
The on-line portal also has a facility for sending reminders in the form of messages on the registered mobile number and registered emails of the authorised representatives of the political party so that the dates of compliances are not missed. A comprehensive guiding manual with graphical representations, and FAQs have also been sent to the political parties explaining the online module and the process of filing reports online. To give further guidance on the on-line filing, the ECI would also organise a hands-on training programme for the designated person(s) from various political parties.
The political parties not wishing to file the financial report through online mode will have to convey the reasons for not filing on-line to the Commission in writing and may continue to file its reports in hard copy along with CDs/Pen drive in the prescribed formats. The commission will, in turn, publish all such reports online, along with a letter of justification sent by the party for not filing financial statements online.
The EC had in May undertook a drive for enforcing compliance of financial reporting in Registered Unrecognised Political Parties in May 2022. As part of the drive, the EC delisted 284 RUPPs and 253 other RUPPs were declared inactive. Also, the Income Tax Department launched an investigation into the affairs of certain RUPPs and conducted nationwide raids in September 2022.
