BHOPAL: The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) OP Rawat has expressed concern over seizure of unaccounted cash, liquor, drugs, freebies and gifts worth over Rs 51 crore ahead of November 28 assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh.“The work being done on expenditure monitoring is laudable, as unaccounted cash, jewellery, liquor, drugs, freebies and gifts worth over Rs 51.29 crore have so far been seized across the state since October 6, when the model code of conduct came into force.
As nearly two weeks are left for the actual polls, the figure of seizure is bound to go up,” Rawat told journalists in Bhopal after the end of two-days visit with ECI top brass to Indore and Bhopal for reviewing poll preparations in the state.“The cash seizure which totals over Rs 21.63 crore till now is more than the around Rs 19 crore cash seized in the state during the 2013 polls.
The magnitude of seizure till now in the state is cause of concern as to how cash, liquor, drugs, freebies and gifts are being used in the election process. This is alarming and must be controlled,” maintained Rawat.
Besides Rs 21.63 crore-plus cash, jewellery worth over Rs 7.44 crore, illicit liquor worth over Rs 10.04 crore, drugs worth over Rs 5.61 crore and other freebies and gifts worth over Rs 6.56 crore – all totaling over Rs 51.29 crore-plus were seized as part of the expenditure monitoring activities across the state by the authorities. Expressing satisfaction over the level of poll preparedness in the state, Rawat also shared with journalists the various concerns of the representatives of political parties that were raised with him on Tuesday evening.