I-T dept, police tighten screws on cash movement

Ludhiana: With the election code of conduct in place, the Income Tax department too has become more vigilant about cash being ferried from one place to another. Along with working in close coordination with the district police about seizures of cash, the department itself has intensified its informant network to alert officials in case of suspicious movement of cash from one place to another.
Speaking to TOI, a high-ranking official in the department said: “We are already in touch with senior police officials of Ludhiana on a daily basis, and we are receiving good cooperation from them. As soon as they intercept any unaccounted cash, we are intimated immediately, after which we press our teams into action. Apart from this, we have already issued a toll-free helpline number (18001804814) for the public to report any suspicious movement of cash for use in the polls. This helpline number works round the clock.

Meanwhile, the strictness shown by the I-T department and police on the movement of cash from one place to another has made businessmen unhappy, who are of the view that the limit of cash transfer should be increased from the present Rs50,000. According to Inderjit Singh Navyug, president of United Cycle and Parts Manufacturers Association (UCPMA): “We have already brought the matter of low limit of cash movement in front of the Election Commission, but we have not received any response so far. The cash limit still remains at Rs50,000, but to run a normal course of business, Rs50,000 is very little.”