The Election Commission has announced separate e-mail addresses for all 32 districts in Tamil Nadu through which the public can send photos and documents regarding money distribution to voters in the Lok Sabha elections and in the elections to follow.
The e-mail addresses of all districts have three words together - name of the district, year of election and the world ‘complaints’. For example, the e-mail address for Chennai district is: chennai2014complaints@gmail.com and for Tiruvallur district: Tiruvallur2014complaints@gmail.com.
Similarly, the addresses of other districts can be written.
The public can send photographs taken using their mobilephones during the distribution of money, to these addresses. Since money distribution takes place in a quick pace, the flying squads cannot reach the place in some cases. In these cases, the photographs and documents sent by the public to these e-mail addresses would be helpful in bringing the errant to book.
Already, as per the directions of the EC, the District Collectors have been taking efforts to form the vigilance committees comprising apolitical youth, in all villages in the State. The two-fold duty of the members of these committees is to motivate the people not to take money for vote and inform such kind of money distribution to the Election Commission.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission’s flying squads and Static Surveillance Squads have seized unaccounted money to the tune of `6,06,19,120, and sarees, jewellery and other non-cash items worth `42,50,010, till March 12.
Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Kumar, in an official release here, said that the entire process of seizure had been videographed. The seized cash and other items have been handed over to the Treasury and follow up action is being taken by the District Election Officers, he added.
Meanwhile, the Election flying squad seized `80 lakh from two persons in an omnibus on its way to Kerala from Bengaluru in Salem on Thursday.