Transparency is sought by the government: Sitharaman on gifts.

The government is committed to being more transparent, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday, when asked about the gifts she received from officials during her tenure as defence minister.

“I have always been very clear that I don’t want any gifts,” she told reporters. “I think the government is also moving in that direction, that transparency is something that is sought by the government.”

The minister was responding to a question about a report in The Hindu newspaper that said she had received gifts worth Rs 1.6 lakh from defence officials during her tenure as defence minister between May and September last year.

The report said the gifts included a silver-plated replica of the Ashoka Chakra, a gold-plated replica of the Mahabharata, and a silver-plated replica of the Ramayana.

Sitharaman said she had given the gifts to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and they had been put up for auction.

“I don’t think it is appropriate for me to keep them,” she said.

The finance minister’s remarks come at a time when the government is facing criticism over a lack of transparency in its decision-making.

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