New Delhi: In a bid to bring transparency in funding of political parties and the election process, government in the Lok Sabha on July 30 moved a Bill to amend certain laws to ensure accountability in donations given by private companies and individuals.

Moving the Election and other Related Laws (amendment) Bill, 2003, Law Minister Arun Jaitley said the government had considered the recommendations of the Indrajit Gupta Committee on funding of political parties and brought in the legislation to amend the Representation of the People Act, Income Tax Act and the Companies Act for the purpose.

The Bill drew support from major Opposition Congress, whose member Sudarshan Nachiappan suggested that besides political parties, individual candidates and independents should also be included in the ambit of the proposed law.

Stating no transparent mechanism had been created in 56 years of independence to finance the election process, Jaitley said the government had made a "humble beginning" to establish a system for funding of political parties by bringing in this Bill.

Besides the Indrajit Gupta panel recommendations, the government had considered the views of political parties and other individuals in formulating the Bill, he said.

A suggestion for creating a corpus fund for the purpose financed jointly by states and the Centre could not materialise as the state governments refused to fund it given their financial position, Jaitley said.

PTI