EC gets tough, ropes in I-T department for Bihar elections-to check the flow of illegal money in elections- Oct 11, 2010

EC gets tough, ropes in I-T department for Bihar elections

Tehelka sourced by HT Media Ltd / 11:20 ,

Oct 11, 2010

The EC hopes that these measures would, to a large extent, help check the flow of illegal money in elections. If these measures prove a success in the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar, they could become standard policy.
Aims to track spending patterns, income sources BY Abhishek Anand New Delhi In a first, the Election Commission has sought the help of the Income-tax Department In a bid to stem the flow of illegal money in various assembly as well as general elections, the Election Commission of India (EC), for the first time, has roped in the services of the Income-tax (I-T) Department to keep a close watch on expenses incurred by various candidates. The I-T Department has put 50-60 officials on the job "We have deputed at least one official of inspector level in each district of the state. We plan to depute more officials as the election date approaches," said Shishir Jha, the spokesperson for the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). Bihar has 38 districts. Asked about the I-T Department's role, the official said, "We will be watching high-value transactions closely. For instance, if we find, say, Rs. 20 lakh in someone's car and the person fails to come up with a convincing story about the source of that money and how it will be spent, we will seize the amount and lodge a complaint."

Other teams headed by a deputy district education officer will keep a tab on illegal spending through "paid news," the phenomenon where news reports are influenced. All district public relations officers and their staff will monitor both print and electronic media, apart from local cable channels, and will submit daily reports to the accounting team, which will comprise of officials from the I-T Department as well as from the EC's audit and accounts section. Besides these measures, the EC has announced the mandatory opening of an exclusive election bank account. According to commission guidelines, all monetary transactions that take place during an election have to take place from the same bank account. The EC hopes that these measures would, to a large extent, help check the flow of illegal money in elections. If these measures prove a success in the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar, they could become standard policy.