2 months ago
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With the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) successful unit successful poll-bound Tamil Nadu, immoderate stakeholders person raised concerns implicit the ₹50,000 cash-carrying bounds prescribed by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Those carrying currency supra this bounds would person to satisfactorily explicate its source.
Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Archana Patnaik had said, “If valid documentary grounds oregon written mentation is provided regarding the root and intended intent of the funds and upon verification, if the authorities are satisfied that the currency is not meant for organisation to voters, specified amounts volition beryllium returned to the rightful proprietor and volition not beryllium seized.”
However, Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sankangalin Peramaippu (a traders’ body) president A.M. Vikrama Raja questions the logic down the currency limit. He argued the slab of ₹50,000 was fixed respective years agone and urged that traders beryllium allowed to transportation currency up to ₹2 lakh. “The terms of commodities were antithetic backmost past erstwhile compared to the concern now,” helium told The Hindu.
District Collectors should invitation trader associations for talks, arsenic they are among the astir affected on with farmers, Mr. Raja said. If the documents produced for the currency were successful order, traders should not beryllium harassed unnecessarily.
“Let determination beryllium 1 point. Now, traders are being asked to spell to the Tahsildar, past to the RDO, the Collector, oregon the predetermination officer. It should not happen. There are applicable issues,” helium underlined. In immoderate places, wealth was confiscated, conscionable a fewer minutes aft the Model Code of Conduct came into unit connected Sunday last. “Don’t we request astatine slightest immoderate clip to spell home?”
V. Gopalakrishnan, who utilized to ain a shop, suggested if the bounds was only ₹50,000, banks should beryllium directed to disburse lone ₹50,000 successful currency (in a azygous transaction) to customers. He besides flagged a applicable difficulty. “When a trader winds up concern with respective transactions during the the full time and goes location with money, however tin he/she amusement each the bills if they are intercepted?” To debar trouble, helium alternatively suggests going afloat integer during the MCC. “It is not impossible. These days, adjacent tiny shops person provisions for integer transactions,” helium reasoned.
According to Ms. Patnaik, to redress grievances related to the determination of the authorities connected currency seizure, an entreaty tin beryllium made to the District Grievance Committee. The restrictions are portion of efforts to guarantee escaped and just elections successful the State connected April 23. As of March 17, arsenic galore arsenic 2,106 Static Surveillance Teams and an adjacent fig of Flying Squads person been deployed crossed the State to show the question of cash.
Additionally, 25 Election Expenditure Monitoring Agencies, including the Income Tax Department, Customs Department, and others, are besides engaged successful monitoring and surveillance. Though determination are norms for checking the question of currency and returning them aft verification, the implementation of the norms whitethorn alteration crossed districts.
In immoderate districts, District Election Officer (respective District Collectors) has appealed to the nationalist to debar carrying currency supra ₹50,000 without valid documents, portion the Election Commission of India, successful a property note, said that DEOs person been directed to get accusation regarding antithetic and suspicious currency withdrawal oregon deposit of currency exceeding ₹1 lakh from banks for owed verification followed by indispensable action.
If the magnitude is much than ₹10 lakh, past DEOs are to walk connected specified accusation to Income Tax Department for indispensable action. The Financial Intelligence Unit – India (FIU-IND) has been requested to stock Cash Transaction Reports (CTRs) and Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) with CBDT for effectual monitoring of the predetermination expenditure of the candidates.
The Election Commission has besides issued a Standard Operating Procedure for Flying Squads and Static Surveillance Teams, constituted for keeping vigil implicit excessive run expenses, organisation of items of bribe successful currency oregon successful kind, question of amerciable arms, ammunition, liquor, oregon antisocial elements, among others, successful the constituencies during predetermination process.
The District Grievance Committee successful each territory comprises 3 officers of the district, namely, (i) CEO, Zila Parishad/CDO/P.D. DRDA, (ii) Nodal Officer of Expenditure Monitoring successful the District Election Office (Convener) and (iii) District Treasury Officer. The committee shall suo motu examine each lawsuit of seizure made by the constabulary oregon SST oregon FS and wherever the committee finds that nary FIR/complaint has been filed against the seizure oregon wherever the seizure is not linked with immoderate campaigner oregon governmental enactment oregon immoderate predetermination run etc., arsenic per SOP, “it shall instrumentality contiguous steps to bid merchandise of specified currency etc. to specified persons from whom the currency was seized aft passing a speaking bid to that effect.”
The committee further said: “In nary case, shall immoderate substance relating to seized cash/seized valuables shall beryllium kept pending successful Malkhana oregon treasury for much than 7 days aft the day of poll, unless immoderate FIR/complaint is filed.”
