In Modi rule, ED’s performance improves drastically

The performance of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has drastically improved during the Narendra Modi government’s tenure, as per the agency’s data. And this, despite the fact that the ED has half of its total sanctioned manpower.

At present, the ED functions under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, and is responsible for investigating economic offences under the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002), and the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999.

The agency’s data speaks about the ED’s transformation and suggests that its performance under the current government has shown marked improvement, with prosecution compliance in cases registered under PMLA and FEMA having gone up sharply.

According to data provided by the ED, during 2012-13, in all, 212 cases were registered, out of which in only 11 cases, prosecution complaints were filed. After a change in government at the Centre, in 2017-18, in all 148 cases were filed, out of which 103 cases reached the prosecution stage.

ED data also suggests that from January 2005 to March 2012, the agency registered 1,434 cases, but prosecution complaints were filed in only 38 cases. Poor prosecution complaints resulted in zero prosecution rates in the ED.

The value of assets attached by the ED from 2005 to 2012 was Rs 1,214.66 crore. The value has gone up to Rs 7,432.04 crore in fiscal 201718.

Until 31 March this year alone, the ED had already