In a bid to silence their adversaries on the issue of transparency, the anti-graft group under the banner of India Against Corruption, on Thursday made public the income and expenditure of the Public Cause Research Foundation (PCRF), which has been functioning as the secretariat for the campaign.
Meanwhile, sources in the political circles informed that there are certain civil society groups, which are against Anna Hazare monopolising the fight against corruption, are planning to file PIL in the Supreme Court sometime next week challenging the government’s decision to notify the joint Lokpal Bill drafting committee and its legal sanctity.
In a statement, which was issued late in the evening on Thursday, the anti-graft group said, it has received a total donation of `82,87,668.
“We have issued receipts to all the donors and have maintained a record of their details. We issued receipts on account of PCRF, which is acting as secretariat for the campaign,” the statement said, adding that so far, the foundation has spent `32,69,900 and the balance remain with them is `50,17,768.
Claiming that civil society in the country is not limited only to handpicked five members of the joint Lokpal Bill drafting committee, sources in the political circles reveal that a group of NGOs is working on a PIL petition to be filed in the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the government to bow before the pressure built by fast-unto-death agitation by social activist Anna Hazare. “The petition would seek the court’s intervention on the issue of legality in notifying the constitution of the joint committee,” sources added.
Moreover, in the same statement the anti-graft crusaders claimed that five civil society members of the joint drafting committee, including Mr Hazare would declare their assets and liabilities on Friday.