SAD collected ₹102 crore in 10 yrs, declared only ₹13 cr
CHANDIGARH: Real estate developers, Ludhiana-based cycle industry and party leaders were major donors for the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) between 2005 and 2015.
The party which led the coalition government with the BJP in Punjab for two terms from 2007 to 2017 received donations worth ₹101.81 crore from 349 companies and persons of which only ₹13 crore was declared to be from known sources.
In a report released by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Friday, the SAD — which remained a defaulter for four years (2005 to 2009) for not submitting details of funds to the Election Commission — got ₹1.5 crore from electoral trusts, ₹1 crore from Satya Electoral Trust and ₹50 lakh from Bharti Electoral Trust.
Ambuja Cement donated ₹ 75 lakh, Mumbai-based Trig Detective ₹50 lakh and its sister concern Trig Guardforce Limited gave ₹21 lakh. Besides, NRI businessman from the US Charanjit Singh Dhaliwal (brother of former Akali minister Surjit Singh Rakhra) gave ₹25 lakh, and one Harvinder Pal Singh Desumajra also gave the same amount to the party fund. Punj Lloyd, a private finance company, gave ₹20 lakh, reveals the report.
Former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is also party’s president, donated ₹93,000 each to the party. Apart from this, almost all party leaders who remained ministers and MLAs in the Akali-BJP government gave ₹60,000 to ₹93,000 each.
Bains brothers — Simarjeet Singh and Balwinder Singh — also donated ₹42,000 each to the Akali Dal before leaving the party, reveals the ADR report.
Real estate developers, including Janta Land Promoters, which is owned by Mohali mayor Kulwant Singh, contributed ₹15 lakh to the party fund. He joined the Akali Dal before the assembly polls and quit after contesting the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Motia Developers (₹10 lakh), Barnala Building and Property Consultants (₹15 lakh) and GS Promoters, Surya Contractors, Saini Developers and Sohi Builders donated ₹5 lakh each.
From within the party officebearers Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa donated ₹21 lakh in 2008 when he was youth wing president of the SAD in New Delhi. Ludhiana-based cycle manufacturers Avon and Ralson also contributed ₹5 lakh each to the party fund.
“We need to know who all contributed less than ₹20,000 as a major chunk of funds come from them,” said Trilochan Sastry, founder member of the ADR.
The ADR also released figures of other political parties, including the BJP, Congress CPI, NCP and BSP, and disclosed that 70% of their donation were form unknown sources.
The AAP collected ₹110 crore in three years but declare only ₹45.45 crore. The report reveals that the party started collecting donations in 2012-13 and in three years, it amassed ₹110 core, ₹9 crore more what the SAD collected in 10 years. There are 8,793 donors on the AAP’s declared list, and most of them are small businessmen and private firms.
ARCHRIVALS BAINS BROTHERS ALSO DONATED ₹42,000 EACH TO AKALI DAL BEFORE LEAVING THE PARTY, REVEALS THE ADR REPORT