HC takes note of EC guidelines' violation on expenditure disclosure

New Delhi, Feb 26 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Election Commission to file an affidavit indicating its powers to ensure implementation or enforcement of guidelines regarding disclosure of expenditure by political parties.A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V. Kameswar Rao, also asked the poll panel what steps it can take in case of violation norms.The order came when the court was informed that the poll panel has been consistently writing to political parties, which have failed to disclose their expenditure.The court observed the poll panel seems helpless in implementing the guidelines on 'Transparency and Accountability in Party Funds and Election Expenditure.'The court was hearing a petition, filed by NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), requesting a process of regular submission of election expenditure statements by political parties.ADR has pleaded implementation of recommendations made in the 170th Law Commission Report on Electoral Reforms, to introduce a ceiling on expenditure by parties.
--IANS akk/oeb/pcj