The total seizures in the five states were over Rs 1,018 crore, a nearly four-fold increase over the total seizures of Rs 299.84 crore made during the 2017 assembly elections in these states. The Election Commission (EC) on Friday said it has seized more than Rs 1,000 crore worth of cash, drugs, liquor and other items meant to be distributed as freebies in the ongoing assembly elections in five states so far.
The total seizures in the five states were over Rs 1,018 crore, a nearly four-fold increase over the total seizures of Rs 299.84 crore made during the 2017 assembly elections in these states.
Besides, the enforcement agencies seized drugs worth Rs 109 crore in Punjab and more than 8 lakh litre liquor in Uttar Pradesh in the run-up to the elections, the EC said in a statement.
Punjab topped the chart with total seizures amounting to Rs 510.91 crore, followed by Uttar Pradesh (Rs 307.92 crore), Manipur (Rs 167.83 crore), Uttarakhand (Rs 18.81 crore) and Goa (Rs 12.73 crore).
In the five states, the total cash seizures amounted to Rs 140.29 crore, while more than 82 lakh litre liquor valued at Rs 99.84 crore was also confiscated.
The seized drugs are worth Rs 569.52 crore, precious metals Rs 115.054 crore and freebies Rs 93.5 crore.
“The process of strengthening expenditure monitoring took off further from the Assembly elections in 5 states/UT in 2021 wherein a multipronged strategy led to more than 4-time rise in seizures when compared to the 2016 polls there,” the EC said.
The strategy, it added, included appointment of experienced officers as expenditure observers, sensitising and reviewing a larger ambit of enforcement agencies for more coordinated and comprehensive monitoring, ensuring adequate availability of field-level teams in the monitoring process.
They also held multiple meetings with heads of enforcement agencies like the Central Board of Direct Taxation (CBDT), Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and excise besides senior officials of the states to ensure inducement- free elections.
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