Contrary to reports in a section of the media, the Tata Social Welfare Trust has clarified that it did not donate any money to the Public Cause Research Foundation, Ghaziabad of Arvind Kejriwal for any political activities.

Arvind Kejriwal-led India Against Corruption was reportedly bankrolled by some corporate bigwigs who donated to his Foundation.

While Bangalore-based Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy’s name featured in the list, so did stock broking firm Enam Securities and Tata Social Welfare Trust (TSWT).

Clarifying its position, the company has said, in a statement, that in October 2008, a recommendation was received from N.R. Narayana Murthy for assisting Arvind Kejriwal to raise awareness about the Right to Information Act (RTI).

Subsequently, in December 2008, the Public Cause Research Foundation requested TSWT for a grant of Rs 1.25 crore, for a 5-year period, to institute the National RTI Awards by recognising roles played by public information officers, information commissioners and citizens.

TSWT approved the request and agreed to release Rs 25 lakh per year from 2009, for a period of five years, to help the Foundation institute the awards.

In 2009 and in 2010, Rs 25 lakh each was released to the Foundation, the company said.

Similarly, another Rs 25 lakh was released in 2011. After receiving the grant for 2011, the Foundation wrote to TSWT that it would not be able to present RTI Awards for 2011, and asked whether the grant could instead be used for the movement on the Jan Lokpal Bill.

TSWT informed the Foundation that since the grant was meant for RTI Awards, it could not be used for any other purpose.

The Foundation, accordingly, returned the Rs 25 lakh grant for the year 2011 to TSWT.

The company has clarified that there have been no further grants from TSWT to the Foundation.

>amritanair.ghaswalla@thehindu.co.in

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