The Income Tax Department has so far seized unaccounted cash totaling to approximately Rs. 15.5 crore in Mumbai since Model Code of Conduct came into force for Assembly Election, 2019, in the State of Maharashtra.
This apart, strength of the Quick Response Teams, formed for this period, has been further increased with additional manpower so as to ensure elections free from influence of cash and/or valuables. The Department will give special attention to the movement of unaccounted cash/valuables and also prohibition of distribution of cash/ valuables meant for wooing the electorate, particularly during the period when election campaign ceases on 19th October till the date of polling (21st October).
Further, the Department is responding to every call and information from police/public/other agencies and subject to the existence of credible information, search/ survey actions u/s 132/132A/133A are being conducted almost on daily basis.
Since the Model Code of Conduct came into operation, control room and quick response teams have been formed and set up at various districts/constituencies in the state. Further, the Department started BSNL Landline telephone numbers, Toll free numbers (1800221510) and Fax number as well as Dedicated WhatsApp number for receiving messages (9372727823/9372727824) for intelligence/information of unaccounted cash/ valuables for election purpose. Along with these, the Income Tax Department has taken various other steps to play a constructive role in the conduct of fair and smooth elections since then. It includes comprehensive sensitization and awareness programme through newspaper advertisements in Hindi, Marathi and English language papers, placing promotional standees at prominent locations and around airports, radio promotions on 5 FM channels, social media promotion through Facebook page, bus wrappers on identified 10 bus routes, messages (audio/video) through celebrities and so on.
Notably, as per Election Commission of India’s instructions, Principal Director of Income Tax-1, (Investigation Wing), Mumbai, has been designated as Nodal Officer for Income Tax Department for the state of Maharashtra since Code of Conduct came into force in the state.
