Income Tax department to keep watch over use of black money in LS polls

Income Tax department will depute 65 officers and 130 inspectors to keep a tab over use of illegal cash and valuables in Lok Sabha elections in Bihar and Jharkhand, a senior IT official said on Thursday.

"Besides, control rooms have been set up in Patna and Ranchi with toll free numbers for round-the-clock vigil over movement of illegal cash during elections in the two states, Director General of Income Tax (Investigation) Ujjwal Chaudhary told reporters.

The toll free number for control room in Patna is 1800-3456349 while landline number is 0612-2504250 and fax 0612-2504251. For Ranchi control room the toll free number is 1800-3456547, landline 0651-2332408 and fax 0651-2332406, Chaudhary said.

An Air intelligence unit has been made operational in all airports at Patna, Gaya and Ranchi to keep a watch over passengers in chartered aircraft, private planes and helicopters, he said.

Kumar Sanjay, Director of Income Tax (Investigation), who has been made nodal officer for the two states, said Rs 50,000 were permissible for a passenger at airport during election time.

"Beyond that one has to explain the purpose for which the cash or gold is carried and if the explanation is not satisfactory suitable action will be initiated," Sanjay said.

Chaudhary said besides one officer of Assistant Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner rank, inspectors would be deployed in 40 Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar and 14 in Jharkhand for keeping a tab over cash movement and expenditure details of candidates.

The DG IT, who has been entrusted this special responsibility to check use of black money, movement of cash/valuables and ostentations expenditure during the elections, said special care would be kept on porous Indo-Nepal borders in coordination with other agencies.

A meeting of SSB (Sahashtra Seema Bal), CISF, Airport Authority, Customs, Railways and Income Tax has been called by the chief electoral officer on Friday for better coordination between different agencies during polls, the two officers said. Sanjay said bank managers had been instructed to pass on information about any withdrawal above Rs 10 lakh.