Government has no estimate of black money, reveals RTI

New Delhi, Jan 14: The Government does not have any estimate of the total black money which has been stashed abroad.

This has come to light from a response to an RTI application on black money.

Former Central Information Commissioner, Shailesh Gandhi, through an RTI application, had sought to know the estimate of the black money that is stashed abroad by Indians. The application was sent to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in December last year, says a DNA report.

The PMO transferred the application to the Finance ministry which in turn transferred it to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).

The report said Gandhi received a one-liner reply on January 8 which said, "There is no such estimate."

"If any estimate has been made by the Government of India of the amount of black money of Indians in foreign banks, I want the amount estimated. If there are different estimates of the amount please give me the different estimates and the names of departments which have given the estimate. If there is no estimate in records, this should be stated. I would like to point out that no exemption will apply in this case and I am attaching a full bench order of the Central Information Commission for your ready reference," the report quoted Gandhi's letter.

OneIndia News