Gujarat Polls: Over 150 IRS Officers Deployed As Expenditure Observers?

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Gujarat Polls: Over 150 IRS Officers Deployed As Expenditure Observers?

| Updated: June 15, 2022 09:46

The Gujarat polls are nearly five months away, but the Election Commission has as usual roped in as many as 150 Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers of the Income Tax Department to monitor spending by contesting candidates and political parties, other financial matters and accounting.  The list will be declared soon by the Income Tax Department, Gujarat

While IPS officers will watch the law and order, IAS ones will look after the administration and IRS officers will work as Expenditure Observers. They play a vital role in ensuring that money power does not vitiate the level playing field among the contesting candidates. 

“At least 4-5 IRS officers are usually appointed in each district of Gujarat. Along with IPS and IAS officers, IRS officers are given equal responsibility. We are working to ensure free, fair and inducement-free elections in the country. Some IRS officers from Gujarat are also given charge in Himachal Pradesh and other states.” said a well-placed source in the I-T department. 

The observers will be tasked with checking the use of black money and other illegal inducements during the election process. The I-T department will also activate its air intelligence unit at airports to check the movement of funds.

A separate Election Cell is created by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to expedite pending matters of investigation of falsity in affidavits filed by contesting candidates and analyzing contributions and annual reports of political parties. The Income Tax Department of Gujarat will also announce a toll-free number for people to report such a falsity. IRS officers and their staff will be on their toes 24/7 to address their concerns. 

IRS Sushil Chandra, the 24th Chief Election Commissioner of India, had earlier stated, “Effective monitoring has resulted in record seizures in the recent assembly elections held in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. The concerted efforts and strong vigil by the officers resulted in a drastic increase in seizures in 2021, which was more than 4.5 times the seizure figures in previous elections in these States held in 2016.” 

What about Income Tax raids? 

The investigation department of Aaykar Bhavan, Gujarat, will soon be occupied with elections. As a result, the raids on builders or businessmen will take a back seat for at least a month. “Our priority will be to look into matters and frauds relating to the use of money during the elections,” said a source in the I-T department. 

The back-end work by the department has already begun. They will be actively working from the day the election dates are announced till the results are out.  

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