News items about cash and weapon seizures have become a routine in the media over the past few days in Uttar Pradesh.
News items about cash and weapon seizures have become a routine in the media over the past few days in Uttar Pradesh.
Officials involved in the drive say black money is being pumped into elections, and this is for the first time that such large sums of cash are being seized every day.
\A top Income Tax (I-T) official said over Rs25 crore had been seized in the raids throughout the state in 10 days. The biggest haul was made on Monday when a surveillance team recovered Rs13.66 crore from four vehicles in Ghaziabad.
However, the series of seizures have invited protests from the trading community who have alleged harassment in the name of the model code of conduct. The traders have called for a “UP bandh” on Thursday in protest.
“This is for the first time in any election that such a drive is being carried out and we have been getting very encouraging results,” said UP’s Chief Election Officer Umesh Sinha. He explained that the drive is being carried out by Static Surveillance Teams which comprise an I-T official and an administration official with magisterial powers, besides the local police. However, he admitted that the seizures have resulted in protests from the business community. “We have given clear instructions that bona fide businessmen and the common man should not be harassed. We are talking to traders’ organisations and will sort out the problem soon,” he said.
The EC has announced that people carrying over Rs2.5 lakh cash should carry documentation to prove that their intentions are bona fide and that this money is not meant for funding elections in any way. But, businessmen say many transactions are done in cash and if the drive continues, over 30% of the cash business in the state would be affected.
A Kanpur-based businessman explained that the daily cash transactions in UP are in the range of Rs4,000 crore. “If 30% of this business is hit, transactions of about Rs1,200 crore per day would come to a halt. If this continues for the two months during elections, it would spell catastrophe for us,” he added.
But, the EC seems to be rigid about its drive against black money which will get a boost from Thursday when the EC’s election expenditure observers will take up positions in UP’s 403 assembly constituencies.
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