Team News Riveting
New Delhi, March 17
The Election Commission of India (RCI) has made record seizures worth Rs 331.47 crore in the expenditure monitoring process during the ongoing Assembly Elections 2021.
Four states Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala besides Union Territory of Puducherry are going to the polls next month. The quantity already surpasses the total seizures made in the assembly elections to these State/UT in 2016 that was calculated at Rs 225.77 crore.
Significantly, the record seizures have been made even though polling is yet to start.
Of the seizure include cash of Rs 89.48 crore, liquor worth Rs 28.93 crore, drugs worth Rs 75.67 crore, freebies worth Rs 48.52 crore and previous metal that basically included gold worth Rs 88.87 crore.
Tamil Nadu however ranked top, sharing over 38 per cent of the total seizures followed by West Bengal where booty worth Rs 19.11 was seized. The state however topped the list in drug seizure as the authorities seized narcotics worth Rs 47.40 crore in Bengal. The highest seizure of previous metal at Rs 61.04 crore was made in Tamil Nadu, endorsing southern state’s charm for the gold.
Assam topped the list in liquor. The authorities seized liquor worth Rs 17.25 crore in the state that was highest among all the poll-bound states. Bengal, however, was ranked top with freebies worth Rs 29.42 crore seized in the state.
For effective monitoring to curb black money in General Election to Legislative Assemblies of Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Union Territory of Puducherry, Election Commission of India has deployed 295 Expenditure Observers. Commission has also appointed five Special Expenditure Observers; Ms. Madhu Mahajan, ex-IRS(IT):1982 and Sh. B. R Balakrishnan, ex-IRS(IT):1983 (both for Tamil Nadu and UT of Puducherry), Sri B.Murali Kumar, ex-IRS, 1983 batch (for West Bengal), Ms. Neena Nigam, ex-IRS, 1983 batch (for Assam) and Sri Pushpinder Singh Puniha, ex-IRS, 1985 batch (for Kerala).
These officers having formidable domain expertise and impeccable track record are deputed for more effective election expenditure monitoring. After due assessment, 259 Assembly Constituencies have been marked as Expenditure Sensitive Constituencies for more focussed vigil.
