Poll alert: Sales of goods that can turn ‘gifts’ under CBIC watch
KEEPING AN EYE. Various measures prescribed in SOPs for taxmen to step up vigil during elections
Indirect tax authorities will keep an eye out for a sudden surge in sales of saris, shirts, caps, masks, scarves, white goods and kitchen items, besides checking eway bills for their movement during the elections. Also, surprise checks will be done at petrol pumps to ensure that fuel is not used to lure voters.
These are some of the measures included in the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the field formations of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC), to step up the preventive vigilance mechanism and to prevent the flow of suspicious cash, illicit liquor, drugs/narcotics, freebies and smuggled goods, during the general election.
The 44day poll exercise has kicked off with the filing of nominations for the first phase of voting. Six more rounds will follow, and counting will take place on June 4.
KEEPING CHECK
In July last year, businessline reported that CBIC was formulating SOPs for the polls. A pilot exercise was undertaken during the assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana last year.
In an instruction dated March 23, the indirect tax policymaking body said the Election Commission of India (ECI) has highlighted that the election expenditure monitoring mechanism, with its thrust on keeping track of the legal expenditure incurred by candidates and the political parties, requires coordination among the various expenditure monitoring teams and the law enforcement agencies.
ECI has also expressed
SOPs include checking for a sudden surge in sale of sarees, shirts, caps, masks, white goods and kitchen items
concern that smuggled goods/contraband and other illicit articles may be used to lure voters during the election process, which would need to be checked by law enforcement agencies, including those of the CBIC.
“Another aspect that would require attention is the use of nonmonetary inducements and cash to lure voters, which, too, would need to be checked by keeping a strict vigil on warehouses to prevent the
stocking of such goods for distribution,” the instruction said.
TO STUDY PATTERN
With this intention, various measures have been prescribed in the SOPs for taxmen. One such measure says the DirectorateGeneral of Analytics and Risk Management (DGARM) would conduct a special analytical study of items that might be associated with the candidate or political party in the pollbound assembly or constituency and could be used as an inducement for votes in the said states. The study should bring out the surge patterns to and within these States, and the movement pattern and place of storage of such goods. These reports would be quickly shared with field officers, who would keep a special watch on the movement/storage/supply of such goods, it said.
MONITOR MOVEMENT
“Pr DG, DGGI and Pr. Chief Commissioners/Chief Commissioners of the CGST Zones concerned shall monitor movement of goods such as sarees, shirts, caps, masks, scarves and party flags that might be associated with the candidates or the political party in the pollbound assembly or constituency,” it said.
A vigil would also be maintained at petrol pumps.