NEW DELHI: The indirect tax department will be keeping a close watch on petrol pumps, farmhouses, marriage halls and slaughterhouses in poll-bound areas to illegal inducement of voters.
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes (CBIC) will be teaming with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to prevent the flow of suspicious cash, illicit liquor, drugs/narcotics, freebies and smuggled goods during elections.
The CBIC has issued a standard operating procedure (SoP) for GST and customs officers to keep a strict vigil on such practices. As per the SoP, a copy of which is with the TNIE, principal chief commissioners and commissioner rank officials must establish a sufficient number of flying squads and static surveillance teams for road and transit checks of vehicles and verification of warehouses, as and when required.
In order to prevent unauthorized diversion of liquor, cigarettes etc, GST and customs field officials have been asked to maintain special watch on warehouses. The officers have been told that if any goods are found to be linked to the canvassing process or for use during an election, the cost of such goods should be communicated to the principal director general, Department of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) or Director General of GST Intelligence along with district election officers and returning officers.
The officers have been asked to ensure stock checking of manufacturers, wholesale distributors, and retailers to identify goods that might be meant for election canvassing and for distribution to voters.
They have also been asked to check the sudden surge in the movement of goods like dhoti, saris, t-shirts, umbrellas, pagri, etc. especially from neighbouring states. The field officers will be monitoring fuels consumed during the election process by candidates and parties.