Specific steps taken on whistleblowers info on blackmoney:Govt

Certain persons claiming to be whistleblowers have offered assistance in investigation of blackmoney stashed abroad and the government has taken specific steps in this regard, the Finance Ministry has said.
Replying to an RTI query, it declined to share information on the action taken by it saying the information is held in fiduciary relationship and it will impede the process of investigation or apprehension of offenders.
The Ministry was asked to provide information on a letter reportedly written by Herve Falciani, former employee of Geneva branch of HSBC bank, to Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team on blackmoney, besides photocopy of all file notings in this regard.

"Certain persons, claiming to be whistleblowers, have made offer of assistance in investigation of blackmoney stashed away abroad. The government has taken specific steps in this regard," it said replying to the RTI application filed by Venkatesh Nayak, associated with Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, an NGO.
Disclosure of steps taken, at this stage, would not be in the interest of further investigation in view of the exemption from disclosure of information under the provisions of Section 8(1)(h) of the RTI Act, the Ministry said.
The Section bars disclosure of information "which would impede the process of investigation or apprehension or prosecution of offenders".

The Benami Act invites rigorous imprisonment of up to

seven years and the violators also stand to be charged under the I-T Act, besides being liable to pay fine up to 25 per cent of fair market value of benami property and other penalties.
The Centre had come out with the PMGKY scheme after its decision to demonetise high value currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 last year.
Under the scheme, people can deposit their unaccounted cash in bank accounts till March 31 this year by paying 50 per cent tax plus penalty. A quarter of the total sum will also have to be parked in a non-interest bearing deposit for four years.

The scheme had commenced on December 17 last.