EC details steps to keep a tab on cash flow in state elections

Flying squads, I-T officials at airports to be kept on alert; guidelines in Gujarati.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) of India has issued detailed guidelines to the chief electoral officer (CEO) in the state to keep a check on the election expenditure during Assembly polls to be held later this year.

The guidelines are to be translated into Gujarati language and distributed among the political parties. The election expenditure allowed per candidate is Rs 16 lakh in the state.

The ECI has asked the CEO to draw a list of "expenditure-sensitive constituencies" prone to "high expenditure and corrupt practices" based on the history and profile of constituencies and send them to the ECI before a formal notification for the polls is issued.

The ECI has also ordered for setting up flying squads and static surveillance teams at various check-posts for dealing with unaccounted cash, gold or other valuable assets being carried for influencing the voters.

Any cash suspected to be used for bribing the voters will be seized and the person carrying it will be issued a receipt after getting the entire operation video-recorded to enable him to go for redress. If criminality is not suspected and the cash is found to have no link with any candidate or political party and it is above Rs 2.5 lakh, there will be no seizure but income tax authorities would be informed.

According to the guidelines, all air passengers (excluding those the exempted category) and their baggages will be subjected to frisking and checking before they board any aircraft or helicopter headed for the state during the period from the announcement of elections till the final conduct of the polls.

Also, the CISF deployed at all airports in the country has been instructed to inform the income tax officials at their respective airports if they detect cash exceeding Rs 10 lakh or bullion weighing 1 kg being moved to the airports in Gujarat during the polls. IT official in turn will inform the CEO before landing of the aircraft in Gujarat and CEO will alert the flying squad to take action, if necessary.

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