DEO discusses security arrangements; asks bankers to flag suspicious cash transfers

Puducherry DEO discusses election security with police, instructs bankers on monitoring cash transactions for Lok Sabha polls.

District Election Officer-cum-District Collector A. Kulothungan on Wednesday convened a preliminary meeting with police officers to discuss security arrangements for the smooth conduct of the April 19 Lok Sabha elections in the Union Territory.

A press note said the Collector called for adequate policing to ensure that voters could exercise franchise without fear or anxiety.

Yashwant Meena, assistant Collector; M.M. Vinayaraj, Deputy District Election Officer; and officials from the police and revenue departments participated.

On Tuesday, the Collector had instructed bankers to flag suspicious transactions in view of the Model Code of Conduct in force.

During the meeting, which was related to handling, monitoring and cash transactions of candidates, parties’ bank accounts, the DEO wanted bankers to look out for any unusual or suspicious cash withdrawal or deposit of cash in a bank account exceeding ₹1 lakh during the process of election, without any such instance of deposit or withdrawal during the last two months or unusual transfer of amount by RTGS from one bank account to the accounts of several persons in a district/constituency during the election process without any precedent of such transfer.

They should also monitor for any deposit of cash or withdrawal of cash exceeding ₹1 lakh from bank account of candidates or spouse or his dependants, as mentioned in the affidavit filed by candidates which is available in CEO’s website, any withdrawal of cash and deposit of cash exceeding ₹1 lakh in the account of the political party during the election process, or any other suspicious cash transactions, which might be used for bribing the electors.

If the amount of cash deposit or withdrawal is more than ₹10 lakh, such information needs to passed on to the Nodal Officer of the Income Tax Department.