Advani to PM: Take up German info offer

LK Advani urges Manmohan Singh to accept the offer of the German government to part with information concerning some rich Indians who hold secret accounts in tax- haven Liechtenstein, reports Shekhar Iyer.

Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to accept the offer of the German government to part with information concerning some rich Indians who hold secret accounts in tax- haven Liechtenstein.

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In a letter to him recently, Advani told the PM India should act like other countries including the US, UK, Canada, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Ireland that have taken German help to track tax evasion by their citizens. The German government, which has obtained a list of account holders at Liechtenstein's LTG Bank, has said it is willing to part with the names. But the Indian government has to make an official request.

So far, the government has not made any request. Apparently, German intelligence agency BND has got data of about 800 account holders of LTG Bank. Some of them happen to be Indians.

Transparency International, which has been campaigning against sleaze in high places, has been urging governments and leaders to approach the German government to obtain information to plug tax evasions and loss to the exchequer.