Amidst all the hullabaloo about drug menace in Punjab, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to keep a close tab on movement of narcotics and money for checking narco-politics and ensuring free and fair elections in the state.
Concluding its two-day Punjab visit on Thursday, the country’s election regulator has issued strict instructions to the Deputy Commissioners and also all the enforcement agencies to step up their vigil to ensure that “inter-state and cross border movement of drugs, liquor, and cash is effectively checked”.
The poll panel asked the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) to check the inter-state movement of drugs. Directions were also issued to deal seizure of liquor, drugs, and cash with a heavy hand.
Besides, the Commission has also sought a weekly report from all the agencies. At the same time, the ECI maintained that to check the use of drugs, money, liquor, it has already drawn an action plan, which would be reviewed during its next visit.
The details of the ECI full commission’s visit to Punjab were shared by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra, who made it clear that conducting “inducement-free and ethical elections” is their prime importance.
“The Commission has zero tolerance towards abuse of money power or government machinery,” he asserted while addressing the media after holding series of meetings with various representatives, officers during two-day visits.
During the visit, the ECI team met the representatives of national and state level political parties and took cognizance of issues and concerns raised by them.
The poll panel also reviewed overall poll preparedness with the District Election Officers-cum-Deputy Commissioners and CPs or SSPs of all 23 districts as also the Chief Electoral Officer, State Level Police Nodal Officer, and the CAPF Nodal Officer and also the Health Department nodal officers.
The ECI team also met with nodal officers of enforcement agencies. Besides, discussion on administrative support, budget and election related arrangements were also held with the Chief Secretary, DGP, Home Secretary, Secretary Finance, Secretary Health and other senior officials of the State.
CEC Chandra said that the political parties have raised their concerns about misuse of money and distribution of liquor and drugs in the forthcoming Assembly polls.
“The Commission met leaders of two national and six state-level political parties...After meeting them, we reviewed poll preparedness with district electoral officers and other nodal officers, including those from Excise, Income Tax, RBI. We also discussed strategy to curb distribution of liquor, money, and freebies during elections,” he said.
“The political parties raised certain concerns. They were concerned about law and order situation in elections and distribution of drugs and liquor. They asked for deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). They also raised issue of inequitable treatment by district authorities and partisan behaviour,” added Chandra.
The CEC added that the political parties have asked for 100 percent VVPAT use and 100 percent web-casting at polling booths. “Cutting across the party lines, they wanted EC to take steps for fair conduct of elections, and we have assured the parties that our endeavour is to encourage maximum voter turnout and free and fair elections,” he said.
Chandra added that the political parties have mentioned “money power” as a cause for concern along with liquor and drugs.
“The Commission has reviewed the concerns cited about law and order situation with the District Magistrates and Police Officers. Concerned officials have been directed to ensure speedy execution of non-bailable warrants (NBWs); and speedy disposal of pending cases of the electoral offenses from the previous elections,” he said.
CEC Chandra said that vulnerable constituencies have been identified, and “adequate CAPF deployment will be ensured so that no one is able to unduly influence the voters or intimidate them”.