Expenditure Observers inspect MCMC and Control Room, review election preparedness in Rajouri

RAJOURI, AUGUST 30: To ensure smooth conduct of the Assembly Elections 2024, Expenditure Observers Sanjay Kumar for the constituencies 83-Kalakote Sunderbani, 84-Nowshera, and 85-Rajouri and Sidharth Kumar for constituencies 86-Budhal and 87-Thanamandi, visited Rajouri today.

The Observers convened a critical meeting with the members of the Expenditure Monitoring team at Dak Bungalow, Rajouri.

The Observers issued directives to maintain strict check on the trafficking of drugs, liquor and cash by elements inimical to the sanctity of election process. Sanjay Kumar emphasized the importance of daily cash deposits by wine shop dealers into their bank accounts and instructed them to avoid selling liquor on credit slips. He reiterated that the cash limit for individuals during the election period is set at ₹50,000.

The Observers also stressed the need for effective coordination among various teams. They instructed the relocation of certain check posts to optimize surveillance and ordered the GST department to monitor abnormal purchases and the distribution of freebies closely.

The Police, Flying Squad Teams (FST) and Static Surveillance Teams (SST) were directed to maximize coverage of their respective areas and to activate informers to ensure a level playing field for all political parties.

The Lead District Manager (LDM) was instructed to report any transactions exceeding ₹1 lakh to the District Election Officer (DEO). The Observers also mandated that vans carrying cash must have proper documentation. Additionally, all officers and teams were directed to strictly follow the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure the transparency and integrity of the electoral process.

After the meeting, the Expenditure Observers, accompanied by DEO Rajouri, Abhishek Sharma and SSP, Randeep Kumar inspected the Control Room and the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) to review the arrangements in place.

The meeting was attended by the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Nowshera and Rajouri, District Mineral Officer (DMO), Deputy Registrar Cooperative, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP), LDM, Excise and Taxation Officer (ETO), State Tax Officer (STO), representatives of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Income Tax Department, Assistant Expenditure Observers (AEOs), and representatives of FST and SST.