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Lok Sabha elections 2019: IRS officers to oversee spending in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu
After an increase in the haul of cash, liquor, drugs and precious metal seized by EC teams that are drawn from various government departments, the Commission has streamlined its election monitoring mechanism, drafting in more personnel to oversee spending by candidates and parties.
The Election Commission (EC) has appointed two Indian Revenue Service officers as special expenditure observers in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra for the Lok Sabha elections.
Shailendra Handa, an officer of the batch of 1980, will be deputed to Maharashtra while Madhu Mahajan, from the batch of 1982, will be sent to Tamil Nadu, a person aware of the development said on condition of anonymity. Their job profile will be explained to them on Wednesday.
After an increase in the haul of cash, liquor, drugs and precious metal seized by EC teams that are drawn from various government departments, the Commission has streamlined its election monitoring mechanism, drafting in more personnel to oversee spending by candidates and parties.
During the 2016 assembly election in Tamil Nadu, authorities seized Rs 1.73 crore in cash besides 1,041 grams of gold and registered 51 cases of alleged electoral offences. In Maharashtra, a total of Rs. 15.29 crore in cash was seized by EC-appointed surveillance teams during the assembly polls in 2014.
While candidates have to adhere to the expenditure ceiling of Rs70 lakh per constituency, the observers appointed by the commission keep a tab on spending.
According to another official, over 700 expenditure observers will be roped in for ensuring there is no misuse of money or flouting of norms. Also, the commission reiterated its earlier advisory and asked political parties to “desist” during their Lok Sabha poll campaigns from indulging in any messaging involving actions taken by defence forces .
