SC notice on PIL for making source of income public by poll candidates

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought response from the Centre on a plea that candidates contesting elections should disclose their sources of income at the time of nomination.

A bench comprising Justices J Chelameswar and AM Sapre issued notice to the Centre and the Election Commission on the plea seeking inclusion of a column in the nomination form seeking the details of the sources of income.

The apex court was hearing a plea by NGO Lok Prahari, argued through its founder S N Sukhla, which had also sought direction to Parliament to consider amending the law to disqualify a lawmaker if he has a share or interest in a firm that enters into a business contract with the government or a public company.

"The voters have the right to know that the growth of politicians' wealth is commensurate with their known sources of income and through legitimate means. There was no place in democracy for those who lacked integrity or character," Shukla said.

The plea claimed that candidates while filing their nomination papers were disclosing their assets, assets of their spouse, children and other dependents but do not reveal the sources of income by which they have come to possess these.

Shukla had submitted that 113 Members of Parliament had shown themselves as social activists or housewives or those without any adequate source of income. However, their assets seemed to have gone up by 5-10 times, he said.