India Against Corruption: Our accounts an open book, says Team Anna
Anna Hazare's team said it was willing to get its accounts scrutinized. Manish Sisodia, a key Anna aide, said the collection on Sunday alone added up to more than Rs 15 lakh.
NEW DELHI: With a section of intellectuals , including writer Arundhati Roy, raising questions about funding for the massive Ramlila Maidan campaign, Anna Hazare's team on Monday said it was willing to get its accounts scrutinized. Manish Sisodia, a key Anna aide, said the collection on Sunday alone added up to more than Rs 15 lakh.
"We have appointed an accountant for all the tent-related costs and we have a dedicated team of volunteers and data operators who keep an account of the expenses . We update our accounts on our India Against Corruption (IAC) website,'' said Sisodia.
The organizers claimed that much of the visible expenditure - for instance, running the community kitchen - was borne by volunteers, not IAC. Sisodia said many individuals and groups had sponsored the batches of water pouches distributed to supporters at the venue, and IAC had spent nothing on water and food. "We have even received cheques worth Rs 1 lakh," he said.
Amit Mishra, responsible for collecting donations at Ramlila Maidan, said funds were received through Internet banking, cheques, cash and a donation box. "We have a helpline number (9718500606) and one specific donationhelpline number (9717460029)". Mishra added that only Indian citizens could donate.
Donors are issued receipts for all cash contributions, the organizers claimed. "We have already used up 25 such receipt books, each having 100 slips, in the past two days. For those, however, who do not want to state their names, we just write 'Indian' or 'Annaji' , but we still issue a slip,'' said Mishra.
The organizers, however, said they did not have an up-to-theminute statement of donations received . As for allegations of secret funding for the campaign, sources said that while some companies had indeed contributed for the cause, there was no truth in the rumours about foreign funding.
Donors, on their part, seemed satisfied and impressed with IAC's mode of collection. Sanjay Kumar, 35, a textile businessman from Palwal in Haryana who donated Rs 500 at the Ramlila Maidan counter on Monday, said, "At least these people are not like the government that says something and uses the money for something else.
"We have appointed an accountant for all the tent-related costs and we have a dedicated team of volunteers and data operators who keep an account of the expenses . We update our accounts on our India Against Corruption (IAC) website,'' said Sisodia.
The organizers claimed that much of the visible expenditure - for instance, running the community kitchen - was borne by volunteers, not IAC. Sisodia said many individuals and groups had sponsored the batches of water pouches distributed to supporters at the venue, and IAC had spent nothing on water and food. "We have even received cheques worth Rs 1 lakh," he said.
Amit Mishra, responsible for collecting donations at Ramlila Maidan, said funds were received through Internet banking, cheques, cash and a donation box. "We have a helpline number (9718500606) and one specific donationhelpline number (9717460029)". Mishra added that only Indian citizens could donate.
Donors are issued receipts for all cash contributions, the organizers claimed. "We have already used up 25 such receipt books, each having 100 slips, in the past two days. For those, however, who do not want to state their names, we just write 'Indian' or 'Annaji' , but we still issue a slip,'' said Mishra.
The organizers, however, said they did not have an up-to-theminute statement of donations received . As for allegations of secret funding for the campaign, sources said that while some companies had indeed contributed for the cause, there was no truth in the rumours about foreign funding.
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Donors, on their part, seemed satisfied and impressed with IAC's mode of collection. Sanjay Kumar, 35, a textile businessman from Palwal in Haryana who donated Rs 500 at the Ramlila Maidan counter on Monday, said, "At least these people are not like the government that says something and uses the money for something else.
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