Much ado about seized cash: poll squads face flak again
‘Cash for votes’ has of late come to define or rather defame Tamil Nadu politics. Money even seems to be one of the key motivators for voting. The Election Commission of India (EC) has had a tough time preventing cash distribution for votes.
It also has to depend on State government officials to handle this problem. Anyone carrying more than ₹50,000 in cash or gold or other valuables in bulk,with or without substantiating documents, will have to face scrutiny by flying squads and static surveillance teams (SSTs).
Flying squads are meant to swiftly reach the spot on receipt of a complaint, while the SSTs will be positioned in a particular place marked sensitive. With nearly 20 days to go for polling, these teams have already seized nearly ₹100 crore in cash and valuables.
Every Assembly constituency will have at least two or three flying squads and SSTs, each comprising a senior revenue officer in the rank of tahsildar or deputy tahsildar or assistant engineer or junior engineer of a municipal corporation, one subinspector or special subinspector, two constables, a videographer, and a car driver. They are on duty round the clock. These teams attend to complaints of threat and intimidation and prevent the movement of antisocial elements, liquor, arms and ammunition, and large sums of cash meant for bribing voters.
A control room has been opened in every district. Once a complaint is filed, the control room relays the information to a flying squad, which reaches the spot and reports to the Assistant Returning Officer within 50 minutes. Flying squads and SSTs are required to enter the details of seizures in a mobile application, called Election Seizure Management System, which provides realtime information.
However, the functioning of these teams often comes under scrutiny. The Opposition parties allege that only their representatives and members of the public are affected and those of the ruling party are let off.
Of late, traders and farmers are feeling the heat as any amount above ₹50,000, being carried without proof, is seized. S. Vijayan,
33, a farmer from Omalur, Salem, was stopped at the toll gate at Pallikonda near Vellore. A flying squad seized ₹5.89 lakh that he had in his possession for buying cows. “Where do I go now as the flying squad insists on receipt? How can they expect a person like me to carry documents for the money?” he asked.
Tourists are also at the receiving end. Five members of a family from Kolkata travelling to Udhagamandalam in a taxi were stranded after ₹60,000 was seized from their possession. The flying squad officers refused to accept the bank statement. In another incident, ₹69,000 was seized from a couple from Punjab during a vehicle check at Coonoor. But top officials intervened and returned the money.
A.M. Vikramaraja, president of Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peramaippu, says, “Traders, farmers, vegetable vendors, and fish vendors, who carry cash for their daily trade are under scrutiny. It seems they are not focusing on the money that goes to the candidates or from them to voters.”
“The functionaries of political parties or candidates are rarely intercepted. Some officers are unwilling to take risks. Mostly, they check the dashboard or boot of a car. Will any politician keep cash or valuables in the dashboard or boot,” asks an officer.
Seizure of ₹10 lakh and above should be intimated to the nodal officer of the Income Tax Department.
Instead, the flying squads or the SSTs themselves send the cash to the treasury without understanding the rules, the officer says.