Will SIT On Black Money Help?

With the Modi Government announcing the setting up of a special investigative team (SIT) headed by retired Supreme Court Judge M P Shah to track black money, will it be able to meet expectations? As chartered accountant and author M R Venkatesh says, it will be at least 2016 before the Government can claim any success.

"The key problem is that our homework has been zilch. We lack competency to tackle such cases," Ventakesh said.

Venkatesh pointed that Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has been around since 2005 but it has not been working. "Not one single conviction even after nine years. Switzerland has put in place Illegal Wealth Restitution Act but we have to nail people," Venkatesh said.

He also pointed that the Government had no choice but to form the SIT based on a Supreme Court order.

"This is a test for Modi, it is a high risk, high reward game for the Prime Minister," Venkatesh said.

And since the Supreme Court is monitoring it, it is impossible for the Prime Minister to back off, Venkatesh added.