EC to ramp up election vigil

Hanamkonda:With a general opinion that flow of money to influence the voters is high in both the Telugu-speaking States, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, officials need to be on toes to curb the malady, Special Expenditure Observer for

Lok Sabha elections Gopal Mukherjee said.

Speaking at a review meeting presided over by Returning Officer and Urban District Collector Prashanth Jeevan Patil here on Tuesday, he told the officials to be vigilant to check the influence of money during the coming Lok Sabha elections.

"The surveillance teams should keep an eye on candidates' election expenditure as it does not exceed the permissible limit of Rs 70 lakh. The Election Commission (EC) has put a cap on poll expenditure to ensure free and fair election so that all the candidates in the fray will have equal chances," Mukherjee said. This apart, the surveillance squads need to ensure conducive atmosphere for the conduct of elections, he added.

He said that from April 7 and onwards, there is a need to ramp up checking, especially during the nights. Referring to the conduct of Assembly elections in the region, he said that officials need to display the same spirit. "The surveillance teams have to maintain a good rapport with common people, intelligence and media so as to get information related to illegal activities of candidates," Mukherjee said. Referring to C-Vigil app, he said that people now started to make use of the facility to lodge their complaints.

Prashanth Jeevan Patil said: "So far, surveillance teams have seized Rs 36 lakh unaccounted cash. This apart, the officials have booked 65 cases based on C-Vigil app complaints. Warangal is in second position in regard with C-Vigil complaints." In all, 7,000 engineering students have participated in the C-Vigil awareness programmes organised at various colleges, he said.

Election expenditure observer Naresh Kumar Saini, nodal officer Vijay Agarwal, joint collector S Dayanand, assistant collector B Santhosh, trainee collector Manu Chowdary, Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) secretary Yasa Venkateshwarlu and assistant expenditure observers were among others present.

Later, Mukherjee has visited media centre and expressed satisfaction over the way MCMC has been monitoring the media reports related to electioneering. The RO said that they have identified 10 paid news and action has been taken.