New Delhi, Nov 2: Former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan is the only prominent Team Anna member who has donated to the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare, shelling out Rs four lakh, in the past six months.
Bhushan's Rs four lakh is part of over Rs 2.51 crore collected as donations by Team Anna in the six months starting from April one this year, according to the list of donors provided by India Against Corruption. According to Team Anna, a total of 27,505 people, including 25,023 during Ramlila agitation, contributed financially to the anti-corruption movement with over 400 donating more than Rs 10,000.
The highest donation came from Sitaram Jindal of Jindal Aluminium Ltd who gave Rs 25 lakh to the Hazare agitation. Out of the Rs 2.94 crore it collected during the six months, they have decided to return Rs 42.55 lakh to donors who “did not provide their complete details and their sources of funding”, leaving Rs 2.51 crore with them. They said Rs 26,848 were received through money orders during Ramlila agitation while Rs 69,411 were deposited at different branches across the country. The donations of less than Rs 10,000 through online transfer or cheque or cash were Rs 13.64 lakh.
The Public Cause Research Foundation (PCRF), the Secretariat for the movement, made public its audit report for six months starting April one following allegations of financial misconduct against activist Arvind Kejriwal. “It has been heart warming to note that 23,138 contributions were of Rs 1,000 or less. It has been humbling and moving to note that people with very limited resources contributed with sums like Rs 1, Rs 2 and Rs 5 of their hard earned money,” the Team said.
