In order to maintain the sanctity of the much awaited J&K Assembly Elections 2024, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), J&K, Pandurang K Pole on Saturday convened a meeting of 22 Enforcement Agencies at Nirvachan Bhawan, Rail Head Complex here. The meeting was also attended by Additional CEO Rahul Sharma, Special Secretary Nirupa Rai Nodal Officer Expenditure Monitoring UT of J&K and Under Secretary Huma Khan among others.
The agencies were sensitized about the inter-agency coordination, stressing for prompt action and consequent seizures of freebies including drugs, liquor and cash meant to lure the voters around 72 hours before the commencement of Phase 1 of the J&K Assembly Elections. In the phase 1, elections will be held on 18 September, 2024 across the 24 Assembly constituencies in seven districts-Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag in Kashmir Division; and Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban in Jammu Division.
In order to impose strict vigil, CEO exhorted upon the agencies to ensure close monitoring at all the entry and exit points of Jammu and Srinagar airports; while instructions were also issued to monitor the similar activities both at the interstate check posts and border check posts across the union territory. The CEO also instructed all the financial institutions including Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and UTLBC to keep a strict vigil on the suspicious digital transactions by banks and the institutions were instructed for the onward submission of such transactions to the Income Tax Department for appropriate action under the laid down financial laws.
Giving reference to the guidelines laid out by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the CEO asked J&K Excise Department to ensure the strict implementation of all the restrictions provided in Excise Act on the storage of liquor in unlicensed premises. “The Excise Act must be vigorously enforced during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for the conclusion of poll as envisaged in guidelines laid out by the ECI”, the CEO stressed.
Additionally, the Excise Department was also directed to ensure strict enforcement of restrictions on dry days. The CEO also directed the J&K Excise Department to launch special drives to unearth illicit liquor making factories; destruction of illicit liquor; and establish backward linkages for liquor intercepted in neighboring states of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and UT of Ladakh.
To curb the cultivation of Opium and Cannabis, the excise department was asked to utilize the services of Lumberdars and Chowkidars of hotspot villages in J&K UT. Meanwhile, the agency-wise seizures made till date from the announcement of J&K Assembly Elections 2024 were also discussed and all the agencies were asked to gear up their efforts to ensure effective seizures during election process so as to uphold the guidelines of ECI regarding conduct of inducement free and fair Elections.