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West Bengal Elections: Rs 510 Crore in Freebies Seized by ECI So Far

The Election Commission has seized cash, liquor, drugs, and freebies worth Rs 510.10 crore in West Bengal, exceeding the 2021 election total of Rs 339 crore. Seizures include Rs 30 crore in cash, Rs 126.85 crore in liquor, and Rs 110.12 crore in drugs. Over 2,728 Flying Squad Teams and 3,142 Static Surveillance Teams have been deployed to enforce the Model Code of Conduct. For the second phase of voting on April 29, the ECI has expanded CCTV surveillance to include approach roads to polling stations.

Key Points: ECI Seizes Rs 510 Crore in Cash, Liquor in West Bengal

  • Seizures total Rs 510.10 crore, surpassing 2021 election mark
  • Rs 30 crore cash, Rs 126.85 crore liquor seized
  • 2,728 Flying Squad Teams deployed for 100-minute response
  • CCTV surveillance extended to approach roads for phase 2
2 min read

Cash, liquor, freebies worth Rs 510 crore seized in Bengal so far: ECI

Election Commission seizes Rs 510.10 crore in cash, liquor, drugs & freebies in West Bengal ahead of phase 2 polls on April 29. CCTV surveillance enhanced.

"The ECI has decided to install CCTV outside the polling stations as well to keep the different approach roads to the polling stations under strict surveillance - ECI official"

New Delhi, April 27

Election Commission's flying squads and security agencies have so far seized cash, liquor and other freebies worth Rs 510.10 crore in West Bengal, where the second and final phase of voting for Assembly elections is scheduled on April 29, an official said on Monday.

The seizure of freebies and other inducement articles till Monday in the state has already surpassed the Rs 339 crore mark of such inducement items recovered by the election department and security agencies during the 2021 Assembly elections, said an official statement.

Since the announcement of elections on March 15, including the first phase of voting that took place in West Bengal on April 23, the ECI seizures include Rs 30 crore in cash, liquor worth Rs 126.85 crore, drugs valued at Rs 110.12 crore, precious metal worth Rs 58.28 crore and other freebies worth Rs 184.85 crore.

To ensure inducement-free elections, over 2,728 Flying Squad Teams (FSTs) have been deployed across the State to ensure that the inducement-related complaints are attended to within 100 minutes, said the statement.

Besides the flying squads, over 3,142 Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs) have also been deployed to set up surprise pickets at different locations.

Special drives are being conducted against the manufacture, storage and distribution of illicit liquor, said the statement.

The ECI activated the Election Seizure Management System (ESMS) on February 26 to ensure inducement-free polling and strict compliance with the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

Ahead of voting in 142 Assembly constituencies on April 29, the ECI on Monday decided to further strengthen the surveillance mechanism by bringing the approach roads to critical or hypersensitive polling stations under CCTV coverage.

"In the first phase of polls, there were two CCTVs within the polling station premises, one within the polling room and the other just outside the polling room, to ensure elimination of electoral malpractices within the polling station premises. But there were some reports of voter intimidation outside polling stations during the first phase of the polls. So, this time, the ECI has decided to install CCTV outside the polling stations as well to keep the different approach roads to the polling stations under strict surveillance," an insider from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer said.

The number of CCTV installations to monitor activities at the approach roads will depend on the sensitivity of the polling stations concerned, he said.

The results for the West Bengal Assembly elections on 294 seats will be declared on May 4.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

K
Kavya N
Good that ECI is taking tough action, but this is just tip of iceberg. The real issue is why people still fall for these freebies. We need to educate voters that their vote is precious and not for sell. #FreebieFreeElections
R
Ravi K
The fact that they seized 126 crore worth of liquor alone tells you how deep the problem is. With 2728 flying squads, at least they're serious. But why only West Bengal? This happens everywhere during elections. ECI should be equally aggressive in all states.
J
James A
Impressive operation. The 100-minute response time for complaints is a good standard. But I wonder - is CCTV really going to stop voter intimidation? Usually that happens in subtle ways. Need more police presence on ground rather than just cameras.
S
Sneha F
Rs 510 crore! 🤯 That's a huge amount! At least the ECI is doing its job. But I feel sad that so much money is being wasted on bribing voters when it could be used for development. Hope people see through this and vote based on issues, not freebies.
A
Aditya G
Let's be honest - this is just theatre. The real muscle power and money power will still operate behind the scenes. ECI should deploy more central forces rather than relying on local police who might be compromised. Also, why wait till election day to act?

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