Number to report black money in campaigns

The Centre on Tuesday issued a toll free number, which anyone having information about the use of unaccounted money in the upcoming parliamentary elections can call on and inform.

The toll free number is 1800117574.

The Investigation Directorate of Income Tax Department has set up special control rooms for the general elections, including in airports.

"This control room has become operational from today and half a dozen IT sleuths will be working 24×7 to check the flow of unaccounted money in general elections," an income tax department statement said.

An additional director-rank officer of the Investigation Directorate wing has been appointed as the nodal officer.

This nodal officer is appointed on the direction of Election Commission. The control room is made for sharing information with the Election Commission and the CEO of the state, for effective implementation of election-expenditure monitoring by way of seizure of unaccounted money.

This control room will submit report on every alternate date of seizure of cash by the Income Tax department to the Election Commission.

The Income Tax department had set up a total of 25 control rooms country-wide under the Directorates of investigation wing.

The control room will also receive information through people, fax, email, news channels and newspapers and district election officers.

Once control room will get information on the unaccounted money, which will be recorded in the prescribed register, it will be passed on to the nodal officer, who will take necessary action.

If information is found to be concrete which involve unaccounted cash or bullion not related to bribery of electors, the nodal officer will discuss with the concerned principal director of Income Tax and obtain warrant or authorisation to conduct verification survey or search.

According to the Model Code of Conduct, nobody can carry cash above Rs 10 lakh or bullion weighing over 1 kg during the election without reasonable evidence for them.

If they are found, the income tax department use necessary verification, and if no satisfactory explanation is given, it will take necessary action as per the Income Tax Laws.

The control room will also verify the information received from district election officer regarding cash withdrawals in excess of Rs 10 lakh from bank accounts.

The bank will report every withdrawal exceeding Rs 10 lakh to the district election officer, who will pass on this information to the control room.