Lok Sabha Question No. 3424 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-22
Subject: Curb on Malpractices during Election
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: DHARAM VIRA GANDHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3424

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 22 nd  MARCH, 2017

## Curb on Malpractices during Election

## 3424. SHRI DHARAM VIRA:

Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has succeeded in addressing the issues of drugs, liquor and illicit money in  the  recently  concluded  elections  in  the  States  of  Uttar  Pradesh,  Punjab,  Manipur,  Goa  and Uttarakhand;

(b) if so, the State-wise details of such seized drugs, liquor, illicit money etc.; and

(c) the details of the such incidents and the cases registered against those involved?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LAW AND JUSTICE AND ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI P.P.CHAUDHARY)

(a): The Election Commission has informed that the Commission has effectively enforced the Election Expenditure Monitoring mechanism during elections and has taken the following important measures in  the  General  Elections  to  the  Legislative  Assemblies  of  Goa,  Manipur,  Punjab,  Uttarakhand  and Uttar Pradesh 2017:-

(i)  Appointment  of  Expenditure  Observers;  deployment  of  Flying  Squads  and  Static  Surveillance Teams to keep vigil over movement of cash linked with candidates or political parties, or items of bribe meant for inducement of electors, including liquor and drugs during elections.

(ii) State Excise  Departments  were  requested  to  co-ordinate  with  all  Enforcement  agencies, General/Expenditure  Observers,  officers  of  the  Commission  and  also  with  various  officers/teams engaged in election expenditure monitoring.

(iii) The Director Generals of Income Tax (Inv.) of the five States were requested to appoint Nodal Officer of Income Tax Department to co-ordinate with all enforcement agencies, General/Expenditure Observers and officers of the Commission.

(iv)  The  Commission requested Narcotics Control Bureau to appoint a Nodal Officer and also one Nodal Officer in each State to liaise and co-ordinate with the Nodal officers of the Office of the Chief

Electoral  Officer  (CEO),  State  Police  Department,  State  Excise  Department  and  Income  Tax Department.

- (v)  Constitution  of  Media  Certification  and  Monitoring  Committee  to  keep  a  watch  on  media advertisements and suspected cases of paid news.
- (vi)  Maintenance  of  Shadow  Observation  Register  and  Folder  of  evidence  in  respect  of  each contesting candidate to monitor day to day expenditure incurred by them
- (vii)  Video  Surveillance  Teams  were  deployed  to  oversee  major  items  of  expenditure;  opening  of separate bank accounts by the candidate and involving the Income Tax Department to keep vigil over movement of cash through the airports, hotels, financial brokers etc.
- (viii)  The  Commission  issued  instructions  to  all  candidates  and  political  parties  to  avoid  cash transactions during election process .
- (ix)  CEOs  of  the  five  States  were  directed  to  identify  Expenditure  Sensitive  Constituencies, Expenditure  Sensitive  Pockets  for  effective  implementation  of  Election  Expenditure  Monitoring mechanism during the election.
- (b): The Election Commission has informed that a huge amounts of cash, liquor and drugs/narcotics were seized by the Flying Squads/Static Surveillance Teams/Income Tax Department etc., as under:-
- (c):  The  Commission  has  further  informed  the  details  of  the  total  number  of  FIRs/Police  Cases registered as under:-

| Name of State   | Cash (Rs.)       | Liquor (litres &approx. value)          | Drugs/Narcotics (Kg. & approx. value)                                                                                       |
|-----------------|------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Punjab          | Rs. 58.02 Crore  | 12.43 lakh litres worth Rs. 13.36 Crore | 2598 Kg Drugs/ Narcotics worth Rs. 18.26 Crore                                                                              |
| Goa             | Rs. 2.24 Crore   | 76299 litres worth Rs. 1.07 Crore       | 6 Kg Drugs/Narcotics worth Rs. 33.21 lakh                                                                                   |
| Uttarakhand     | Rs. 3.38 Crore   | 1.01 lakh litres worth Rs. 3.10 Crore.  | 81 Kg worth Rs. 37.23 lakh                                                                                                  |
| Uttar Pradesh   | Rs. 119.03 Crore | 22.43 lakh litres worth Rs. 64.66 Crore | 3218 Kg Drugs/ Narcotics worth Rs. 9.60 Crore                                                                               |
| Manipur         | Rs. 2.18 Crore   | 63722 litres worth Rs. 1.02 Crore       | (i) 361 Kg Drugs/Narcotics worth Rs. 3.22 Crore (ii) Destruction of illicit cultivation of Opium (poppy) in 371 acres land. |

| Name of State   |   No. of FIRs/Police cases registered for excise law violation |   No. of FIRs/Police cases registered for Expenditure related violation |
|-----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Punjab          |                                                           1667 |                                                                    2142 |
| Goa             |                                                            161 |                                                                      47 |
| Uttarakhand     |                                                            782 |                                                                      54 |
| Uttar Pradesh   |                                                           3326 |                                                                    2333 |
| Manipur         |                                                           1167 |                                                                      03 |