EC tightens noose on illegal outlay in polls

The I-T department has been directed to establish Air Intelligence Units (AIUs) at airports in Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa, to keep a vigil on cash movement in these states.

Similar instructions have been issued to Delhi and Mumbai airports as well.

“The EC has asked us to report to them all cash movement, even if it is legal and accounted. The cash can be let off if it is legal but it is mandatory to report the incident.

“The AIUs have hence been asked to keep a close eye on cash going to poll bound states,” a senior I-T officer said.

The Commission has issued similar instructions to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) which guards the airports.

According to sources, the Commission also asked the Information and Technology department to install CCTV cameras at the AIUs in order to record the interception, release or seizure of cash at the airports.

Recently, EC officials had held meetings with the IT department officials in the poll-bound states and senior officials from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), to put in place this mechanism.

In 2010, the Commission had floated the Election Expenditure Monitoring (EEM) cell for checking poll funding and black money usage in the elections.