The Directorate General of Income Tax (Investigation) has seized cash worth Rs 4 crore, since the declaration of Model Code of Conduct for the Maharashtra Assembly polls by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on September 21.
Set up to curb the use of black money and cash inducement in the ongoing Assembly Elections in the State, the DGIT (Investigation) is working in close coordination with several law enforcement agencies and other Government departments, in order to contribute to the conduct of free, fair and smooth elections.
Talking to media persons here on Tuesday, Director General of Income Tax (Investigation) Nitin Gupta said that his department had put in place to gather intelligence inputs regarding movement of cash and valuables and to take immediate action in this regard.
“Our 24X7 control rooms are operational at Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. Forty Quick Response Teams – including six in Mumbai, have been set up at various districts and constituencies across the state. Apart from this, Air Intelligence Units (AIUs) at all the functional airports and airstrips have been set up, in order to monitor and check the flow of unaccounted cash and valuables,” Gupta said.
Gupta said that his department had launched a comprehensive sensitisation and awareness programme and various media platforms like print and electronic media, outdoor media and social media were being used to create awareness among the voters.
Gupta said that upon receiving information from public, police and other
agencies, “we will initiate verification process through QRT’s and that if the information is found credible and requisite action is taken as per IT Act, 1961”.