THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls, cash and other goods worth Rs. 33.31 crore (33,31,96,947) have been confiscated by various agencies in the state, according to Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Kaul on Thursday. This is the figure from March 16 to April 3.
Sanjay Kaul said that cash without sufficient documents, liquor, other drugs, precious metals, including gold, and items for free distribution were seized from various places in the state. These many items were confiscated during the inspections carried out by the Kerala Police, Income Tax Department, Excise Department, SGST Department, Directorate of Enforcement, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Narcotics Control Bureau and other agencies in various places in the state.
Rs 6.67 (6,67,43,960) crores without documents, 28,867 litres of liquor worth Rs.1 crore (1,0003677), 2,33,723 grams of drugs worth Rs.6.13 crores (61,38,6395), precious metals worth Rs 14.91 crore (14,9171959) and free goods worth Rs. 4.58 crore (4,58,90,953) were seized by various agencies during the inspections. To date, the Excise Department has seized goods worth Rs 7.11 crore (7,11,23,064), the police have confiscated goods worth Rs 8.89 crore (8,89,18,072), and the Revenue Intelligence Department has seized goods worth Rs 9.14 crore (9,14,96,977).
Since the election code of conduct is in place, strict inspection will continue in the coming days under the leadership of various agencies in the state, Sanjay Kaul said. Along with Static Surveillance Teams and Flying Squads, the Election Commission has also deployed an Expenditure Monitoring system in each district. Moreover, CCTVs have been installed at all inter-state border crossings and real-time monitoring is being done from the control room set up in the Chief Electoral Officer’s office.