By SK.Vyas
Jalandhar, March 10, 2019: Additional Deputy Commissioner cum Additional District Election Officer Kulwant Singh today asked the printers and publishers to comply with the directions of the Election Commission of India during the ensuing Lok Sabha polls else stern action would be taken against them.
Chairing a meeting with the printers and publishers here at the local Circuit House, the Additional Deputy Commissioner said that as per the guidelines of the ECI no person should print or publish any election pamphlet or poster which does not bear on its face the names and addresses of the printer and the publisher thereof. Likewise, he said that no person should print or cause to be printed any election pamphlet or poster unless a declaration as to the identity of the publisher thereof, signed by him and attested by two persons to whom he was personally known, was delivered by him to the printer in duplicate. Kulwant Singh said that any person who contravenes any of the provisions of the Election law was liable to be punished with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.
Dwelling on another agenda, the Additional Deputy Commissioner asked the Excise departments that as soon as the Model Code of Conduct for Elections comes into force they must monitor the production, off-take, Stock Limits of Licensed Stockiest, Daily receipt and off-take of retail sellers of IMFL/Beer/Country Liquor and Opening and Closing time of Liquor Vending Shops. Likewise, he said that intensive vigil over inter-state movement of vehicles at RTO Check Posts and border check posts by Excise staff should be kept by special enforcement staff under the State Excise Department who are deputed round the clock from the date of notification till the completion of Poll/ Re-poll. Mr. Kulwant Singh further said that all distilleries and warehouses in the district must be put under 24X 7 CCTV monitoring with a police guard, to ensure that no liquor was released without proper license adding that stern action should be taken against any illicit storage or transportation of illicit liquor in the district.
The Additional Deputy Commissioner also asked the Lead Bank Manager to keep vigil over unusual and suspicious cash withdrawal or deposit of cash in a bank account exceeding Rs. 1 lakh during the process of election, without any such instance of deposit or withdrawal during the last two months. He said that unusual transfer of amount by RTGS from one bank account to the accounts of several persons in a district/constituency during the election process without any precedent of such transfer should also be noticed. Kulwant Singh said that any deposit of cash or withdrawal of cash exceeding Rs. 1 lakh from bank account of candidates or spouse or his dependents and any withdrawal of cash and deposit of cash exceeding Rs. 1 lakh in the account of the political party during the election process should also be noticed. “Strict vigil must be kept at any other suspicious cash transactions, which might be used for bribing the electors” he added.