CHENNAI: With the Election Commission of India (ECI) announcing the schedule for the Assembly elections, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into force across Tamil Nadu, and enforcement agencies have stepped up surveillance to prevent the misuse of money during the polls.
According to the guidelines issued by the ECI, individuals found carrying cash exceeding Rs 50,000 or new items worth more than Rs 10,000 without valid supporting documents may have the cash or goods seized by authorities.
The Commission said that the movement of Indian currency or foreign exchange must be carried out only by authorised personnel, and such personnel must carry relevant documents supporting the purpose of the cash movement.
The guidelines also specify that cash transfers should be based on a requisition from the receiver and clearly indicate the destination address. If cash is moved from the office or branch of an authorised person, the transaction must be recorded in the books of accounts before dispatch. Similarly, cash received at the destination office must be recorded on the same day or on the date of receipt.
Officials said that if individuals produce valid documents proving that the seized cash or items are not related to election activities, they will be returned.
However, if the seized cash exceeds Rs 10 lakh, the case will be referred to the Income Tax Department for further scrutiny.
As part of the election monitoring mechanism, the ECI has also constituted a district-level grievance committee to address complaints related to cash seizure.
The committee will consist of the district election officer's nodal officer for expenditure monitoring and the district treasury officer.
It will examine cases in which no FIR or complaint has been registered and in which the seizure is not linked to any candidate, political party, or election campaign.
Based on its findings and the ECI's standard operating procedures, the committee will, where appropriate, return the seized cash to the rightful owners.